I will start by walking 10 minutes each day, increasing by 5 minutes per day each week until I reach 30 minutes

A walking routine is part of a healthful lifestyle. If you are not used to walking for exercise and would like to build up to walking 30 minutes a day, here are two sample walking programs to consider.

Walk 10 minutes

3 times/5 days/week

150 minutes

Day	Walking Minutes	Times/day	Total Minutes
Sunday	Walk 10 minutes	Once a day	10
Monday	Walk 15	Once a day	25
Tuesday	Walk 20	10 minutes in AM; 10 minutes after work	45
Wednesday	Rest Day
Thursday	Walk 30 minutes	15 minutes in AM; 15 minutes after work	75
Friday	Walk 25	Once a day	100
Saturday	Walk 15 minutes	Once a day	115

Week 2: add 5 minutes of walking to Sunday and Tuesday (Now you are up to 125 minutes!)

Week 3: Add additional 5 minutes of walking to Monday and Saturday (Now you are up to 135 minutes!)

Week 4: Add additional 5 minutes of walking to Sunday and Friday (Now you are up to 145 minutes!)

Week 5: Add additional 5 minutes of walking to Sunday and Saturday (Now you are up to 155 minutes!)

Give it a try

Try going for a 10-minute brisk walk, 3 times a day, 5 days a week. This will give you a total of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity.

10 minutes at a time is fine

We know 150 minutes each week (approximately 30 minutes 5 days/week or 20 minutes 7 days/week) sounds like a lot of time, but you don't have to do it allat once. Not only is it best to spread your activity out during the week, but you can break it up into smaller chunks of time during the day. As long asyou're doing your activity at a moderate or vigorous effort for at least 10 minutes at a time.

Build up over time

Increase your walking time by 5 minutes per day each week until you reach 30 minutes. As you build your time, if you want to do more vigorous-level activities,slowly replace those that take moderate effort like brisk walking, with more vigorous activities like jogging.

Things to Keep in Mind

Wear good walking shoes and comfortable clothing to walk in.
Try to walk at the same time every day.
Find a walking partner-keep each other motivated!
Drink water before and after the walk.
Try to do a variety of activities. This can make physical activity more enjoyable and reduce your risk of injury.
Regular physical activity is still safe and beneficial even if you have problems doing normal daily activities, such as climbing stairs or walking.
If you have to take a break from your regular workout routine due to an illness such as the flu, be sure to start again at a lower level and slowly workback up to your usual level of activity.
To get to and stay at a healthy weight, start by doing the equivalent of 150 minutes of moderate- intensity aerobic activity each week. Keep in mind thatyou may need to do more activity or reduce the number of calories you eat to get to your desired weight.

Adapted from: http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/summary.aspx