How to start your own walking or running regimen

Surfaces
Walk or run on the softest, most even surface you can find. A road (usually made of asphalt, which is a mixture of gravel, tar and crushed rock) is better than a concrete sidewalk (which is much harder than asphalt). A school track is even better than the road (synthetic materials, such as rubber-asphalt mixtures, absorb the most shock). Shoulders of roads are usually soft but they're often slanted, too. If you're running consistently on a slanted surface, injury risk increases.

Form
Don't worry too much about the old running rule to land firmly on your heel and roll forward, says Johnston. Landing on a flatter foot may actually decrease the amount of stress that the body has to absorb every time your foot strikes the ground. And until there is a definitive guideline on proper posture, says Johnston, wear supportive footwear and run in a natural posture that feels comfortable.

Intensity
Here are a few simple ways to measure intensity when you run or walk.
• The talk test. If you can say two or three sentences without gasping for breath, says Cathy Simon, a licensed physiotherapist at Active Physiotherapy in Saint John, N.B., you're in a good range.
• Perceived level of exertion. Think about how hard your workout feels. Zero is what you'd feel like if you were sitting on the couch, and 10 is what you'd feel like if you were working so hard you couldn't breathe. Aim for about six.

Stride
Be careful not to overstretch your stride length - this can tighten hamstrings and stress knees and other joints. Follow the natural distance and swing of your legs. Simon provides the following test to find your ideal stride length. Stand with your feet together. Slowly lean forward at the ankles until you have to take a step forward to keep your balance. Repeat a few times to see how far apart your feet fall naturally when you step. Use that as a guide for how long your stride should be.

Warm-up and cool down
Always warm up your body by walking or jogging lightly for five to 10 minutes. After exercise, cool down by gradually slowing down and walking more slowly for five to 10 minutes. This helps muscles and tendons relax and loosen, advises the Canadian Physiotherapy Association, and stops them from becoming stiff and tight.

Stretch
There's no scientific evidence that stretching before exercise makes a difference in terms of injury rate. However, you should always stretch after (not before) you run, when your muscles are warm. Stretch the calves, hamstrings, quads, buttocks, hip flexor, groin and iliotibial band (the tendon tissue that runs from your hip across your thigh and to the top of your shin) for 20 to 30 seconds each, repeating two or three times. For a quick visual guide to these stretches and more, click on www.physiotherapy.ca/pdfs/SMARTRunningInfo.pdf.

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