THIRTY MINUTES OF DAILY BRISK WALKING is an effective way to reduce your risk for chronic diseases — from heart disease and diabetes to clinical depression and even some forms of cancer. But if you want to shed pounds or get fit, you need to walk longer or pick up the pace.

“To walk for weight loss, you’ll need to walk 60 minutes a day at least four days a week,” says Mark Fenton, author of The Complete Guide to Walking for Health, Weight Loss and Fitness and host of the PBS television series America’s Walking.

If your goal is to get aerobically fit, Fenton, along with the American College of Sports Medicine, recommends walking faster — to the point you’re winded or at 60 percent of your maximum heart rate — at least three times a week for at least 20 minutes.

Ideally, to get all three benefits and avoid boredom, “it’s good to mix and match,” says Fenton. On days you have time to spare, you can walk for an hour or longer at a leisurely pace. But on days you have less time, you can walk faster, but for 20 to 30 minutes. And when you’re really busy, you can work in 10 minutes of walking here and there during the course of your day.

The following guidelines are effective ways to help you reach your goals, whether you’re walking for health, to lose weight or get fit — or a combination of all three.

Pay Attention to Pace
No matter what your goals, knowing how fast you’re walking is key. For basic health benefits, a “health pace” of 120 steps per minute (3 mph) is ideal, says Fenton. For weight loss, aim for 135 steps per minute (4 mph); for fitness, 145 to 150 steps (4.5 mph).

To estimate, simply count your steps for 20 seconds as you walk, then multiply by three for a per-minute step rate.

“Depending on your goals, the key steps to hit at the 20-second mark are 40, 45 or 50,” says Fenton.

Fix Your Form
For maximum efficiency, make sure you’re walking with proper form. To do that, Fenton advises concentrating on standing tall, keeping your shoulders back and focusing on the horizon as you walk rather than looking down or at your feet.

To gain speed, you’ll want to take quicker steps, not longer ones, and bend your arms. “As you swing your arms, your hands should trace an arc from your waistband — the back of the hip — to letter height on a T-shirt,” he says. “The best arm swing is natural, close and compact — faster arms will make your feet move faster.”

Finally, for greater momentum and power, push off with your toes at the end of every step.

Don’t Weight Your Gait
Wearing wrist, ankle or waist weights as well as weighted vests while you walk may burn more calories, but they also change your gait, putting strain on joints and possibly leading to injury.

If you want the benefits of both weight training and walking, it’s safer to do them separately.

Keep a Log
Noting your daily activity is a great motivator, especially when you see those miles or steps (if you have a pedometer) start to build up.

Shoot for 10,000 steps a day for health; 12,000 to 15,000 steps for weight loss.

And for aerobic fitness, make sure 3,000 to 6,000 steps are at an increased speed. Tally your daily, weekly and monthly totals. “You’ll hate to write down “0” for any day,” says Fenton.

Sandra Gordon spoke to Mark Fenton, host of America’s Walking on PBS and the author of The Complete Guide to Walking for Health, Weight Loss and Fitness, Lyons Press, 2001, $24.95. For walking tips from Mark Fenton, see www.pbs.org/americaswalking.

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