Rodale Healthy Living

Finding the right weight loss program can be like choosing a friend or mate. The ones that aren't a good fit fade out of the picture, while a great match can last a lifetime. For more than 75 percent of people in the National Weight Control Registry who have successfully lost weight - and kept it off - walking is the answer.

Walking is simple: You already know how, you can do it anywhere and you don't need special equipment. But there are different types of walking personalities. Customizing your walks to fit you will help you enjoy - and stick to - your workouts. Best of all, you'll drop pounds and get firm - faster and easier.

To help you uncover what type of walker you are, we've developed a walking personality quiz. Take the test to identify your walking style, and then try the specially designed programs we developed to maximize your efforts and minimize your obstacles.

Note: These programs are designed for those who've been walking regularly for at least 4 weeks.

QUIZ: WHAT'S YOUR WALKING PERSONALITY?

Read the following list of statements, and choose one response for each that best describes you - not your current walking program.

1. I enjoy walking most when:
2. it's challenging.
3. it gets me somewhere.
4. it's with other people.
5. it's in a beautiful place.
6. If I were on a group hike, I would be:
7. out in front.
8. wondering "Are we done yet?"
9. in the middle of the pack.
10. focusing on my surroundings.
11. In an ideal world, the place I'd most like to walk is:
12. on a track.
13. at the mall.
14. at the park, with a friend.
15. in the woods.
16. Others often describe me as:
17. determined.
18. organized.
19. outgoing.
20. idealistic.
21. The thing I'm most likely to bring on a vacation is:
22. a pair of sneakers.
23. a watch.
24. my address book.
25. a camera.
26. If I were a coach, my style would include:
27. advising on technique.
28. getting the most out of each practice session.
29. recruiting others.
30. offering inspiration.
31. My calendar/date book:
32. doubles as my exercise log.
33. is filled with appointments.
34. includes birthdays and anniversaries.
35. contains inspirational quotes.
36. The clothes I most enjoy wearing are:
37. shorts, T-shirt, and sneakers.
38. whatever's clean and comfortable.
39. jeans and loafers.
40. loose fitting and flowing. Now count up the number of a's, b's, c's and d's you've marked as responses. The letter with the highest total indicates your walking personality. Read on for a description and personalized plan that'll send pounds packing.

    If you come up with a tie, read descriptions under both categories to see which fits you best. Don't overlook the option of also experimenting with another program - or all four - to keep walks interesting.

"A" WALKING PERSONALITY: THE ATHLETE

You get satisfaction from passing others. You're always trying to beat your own time. You know what it takes to hit your target heart rate.

If you're a competitive type, you need a challenge to stay motivated and committed. Training for, and participating in, races is a perfect way to do that. Start with a 5-K (5 kilometers, or 3.1 miles). Check your local paper, gym, walking association, or athletic store for announcements.

Your weight loss advantage: Speed.
Picking up your pace is the easiest way to increase intensity so that you burn more calories and blast away pounds.

"B" WALKING PERSONALITY: THE PRAGMATIC

Hurried at work and at home, your walks are usually no-frill affairs: the same route at the same time every day or squeezed in between errands. You walk more for exercise than for pleasure. You can get an exciting, effective workout in just minutes.

"There's a huge difference in calorie burn between strolling around and walking fast while tucking your rear end and tightening your abdominals," says Katie LoPresti, assistant program director at the University Wellness Center at the University of Medicine and Dentistry School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford, N.J.

Your weight loss advantage: Frequency. Studies show that doing several daily workouts of 10 to 15 minutes can be as effective for losing weight as exercising all in one chunk of time. You tend to rack up more total minutes - effortlessly - by week's end than single-session folks who tend to skip entire sessions when time is crunched.

"C" WALKING PERSONALITY: THE SOCIALITE

You don't mind exercise but hate to go it alone. Your ideal partner could be your best friend, neighbor, or a stranger you've just metas long as she's by your side.

Here's how to make your walks more social and boost your workouts when you're with a groupin four easy steps.

Your weight loss advantage: Support. "When people are counting on you to show up, you're more likely to," says Ellen Abbott, walking director at the Boston Athletic Club. The more positive reinforcement and fun you have, the more you'll walk - and the more weight you'll lose.

Step 1: Find a partner.
Just ask. That's usually all it takes to find someone to walk with you.

Make it routine. Choose the best days and times that will work for both you and your partner. Pen it in your weekly planner.

Step 2: Find more partners.
Expand your circle. Two partners are better than one: more lively conversation, and, if one can't make it, you have a backup.

Join a club - or start your own. Abbott once put an ad up in her apartment building and found several on call buddies for neighborhood walks.

Step 3: Make it challenging.
Hike it. Choose a long, steep trail so that you can catch up on the past week's happenings as you blast extra calories.

Follow the leader. Alternate responsibility for planning your course. You may lead a speed session one week, while your partner chooses a hilly loop the next.

Step 4: Keep it fun.
Make it an event. Get a group at work to commit to training for a charity walk.

Create a walking book club. Read a book, then meet your group on Saturday morning to discuss or trade titles while you walk.

Walk with dogs. If you don't have your own, volunteer to walk a dog from your local humane society. You may make new (four-legged) friends.

"D" WALKING PERSONALITY: THE ROMANTIC

You love exploring wooded trails or interesting streets. Although your walks are often for self-reflection, you also enjoy strolls with your spouse at sunset.

Don't wait for weekends to discover inspiring places to walk. Here are some ways to make your every day route more fulfilling.

Your weight loss advantage: Distance. When you're interested in your surroundings or in tune with your thoughts, you're likely to walk longer and sustain a brisker pace, advises Carolyn Scott Kortge, author of "The Spirited Walker" (Harper Collins, 1998).

Step 1: Locate interesting places.
Get away in minutes. Check out local Rails-to-Trails paths or canal towpaths. These flat, long routes give the feeling of being far away even when you're close to home.

Take a detour. Venture down side streets that you usually zip by on your way to somewhere else. Notice intricate landscapes, beautiful gardens, unique decorations - and steal a few ideas for your home.

Soak up history. Seek out an old neighborhood that has some interesting architecture. Or call your local chamber of commerce for a walking tour of a historical site, or learn to be a guide yourself.

Step 2: Find harmony.
Get in sync. On walks with your significant other, follow his lead, mimicking his every move: pace, stride, and arm swing. Then switch, and you lead. "This is a great way for couples to get in step with each other mentally and physically," Kortge says.

Step to your own beat. A romantic walk doesn't have to be slow. "You can use your steps and words to create a rhythm and energetic pace similar to what music provides," Kortge says.

Replace sights with sounds. When you can't walk any farther than your treadmill, listen to beach, forest or other natural sounds on tapes or CDs. Or get away with any kind of music that transports you.

Step 3: Plan a perfect ending.
Collect beauty. Carry a camera to capture a splendid landscape, a cluster of wildflowers or a marble water fountain. Your photos will also serve as reminders of walking's pleasures.

Keep a journal. Jot down your thoughts and feelings after a walk.

Reviewing it later will make you want to repeat it. Treat yourself. After a long walk, enjoy a soothing bubble bath accompanied by scented candles and your favorite music.

Copyright 2000 Rodale Press Inc. All rights reserved.