9 Tips to Reach Your Fitness Goals This Year

Start a Program You'll Stick To!

Since a walking routine is one of the most accessible workouts, try this six-week plan from Jeanette Soloma, a trainer at Crunch Fitness in Los Angeles. If any week feels too demanding, repeat it until you are able to progress. Follow your rate of perceived exertion (RPE) -- how hard the exercise feels on a scale of 1 to 10; use the "talk test" as a guide.

Week 1:

4 Days: Walk 15 minutes at a steady pace (RPE: 4; you can talk fully with a slight effort).

Week 2:

4 Days: Walk 20 minutes at a steady pace (RPE: 4).

Week 3: Alternative Workouts

2 Days: Walk 25 minutes at a steady pace (RPE: 4).

2 Days: Walk 10 minutes at a steady pace (RPE: 4), 5 minutes at a brisk pace (RPE: 7; you can speak in phrases but are breathing heavily) and 10 minutes at a steady pace.

Week 4: Alternative Workouts

2 Days: Walk 30 minutes at a steady pace (RPE: 4).

2 Days: Alternate 10 minutes at a steady pace (RPE: 4) and 10 minutes at a brisk pace (RPE: 7), followed by 10 more minutes at a steady pace.

Week 5: Alternative Workouts

2 Days: Walk 30 minutes at a steady pace (RPE: 4).

1 Day: Walk 10 minutes at a steady pace (RPE: 4), 10 minutes at a brisk pace (RPE: 7) and 10 more minutes at a steady pace.

1 Day: Walk 10 minutes at a steady pace (RPE: 4), followed by a 30-second speed burst (RPE: 8 to 9; speak mostly in words, with some difficulty). Recover by walking at a steady pace (RPE: 5) for 2 minutes. Repeat interval three times; end with 10 minutes at a steady pace (RPE: 4). Total: 30 minutes.

Week 6:

1 Day: Walk 30 minutes at a steady pace (RPE: 4).

1 Day: Walk 10 minutes at a steady pace (RPE: 4); 10 minutes at a brisk pace (RPE: 7), then 10 more minutes at a steady pace.

1 Day: Walk 10 minutes at a steady pace (RPE: 4), then do a 30-second speed burst (RPE: 8-9). Recover by walking at a steady pace (RPE: 4) for 2 minutes. Repeat three times; end with 10 minutes at a steady pace (RPE: 4). Total: 30 minutes.

1 Day: Walk 5 miles at a steady pace (RPE: 4).