Last week we told you how to sneak exercise into your life by walking whenever and wherever you can. This week, we're going to help you turn walking into an exercise programme that’s high-maintenance-free.

Walking is a brilliant kind of exercise because it's easy, kind to your joints and doesn't require a lot of fancy equipment. It's also incredibly versatile. In fact, there are four levels of walking to choose from when building a workout plan:

1. Lifestyle Walking: Casual walking as you do when strolling through the park or shops.
2. Fitness Walking: The pace you go on a treadmill or whilst briskly walking through the neighbourhood.
3. High-Energy Walk: Race walking at a very fast pace.
4. Walk/Run: Alternating running and walking intervals to increase your exercise intensity.

It depends on your fitness level, your ability and what you fancy. Most people will do a combination of Lifestyle and Fitness walking; those who are interested in serious weight loss or have a need for speed will vary High-Energy walking with Walk/Run into their routines. To help schedule your walking plan, focus on ‘F.I.T.’:

• Frequency: The number of times per week you decide to walk. Ideally, 3-5 times a week will lead you to your goal
• Intensity: The number of times you walk per week may be dictated by your exercise intensity, or how hard you walk. In general, Lifestyle walkers should walk more frequently because they aren't pushing very hard. Fitness, High-Energy and Walk/Run walkers can get by with fewer workouts because they operate at a higher intensity

If you plan on mixing and matching intensities, here's a suggestion: Lifestyle Walk once a week; Fitness Walk once or twice a week; High-Energy Walk once a week; and Walk/Run once a week. As you become accustomed to Level 3 and 4 walks, you may include more of those walks and fewer of the Level 1 and 2 walks.

• Time: For many of us, this is the most challenging component of any exercise programme. Where do you find 30 minutes to an hour, 3 to 5 days a week? Instead of ditching your workout because you can’t find a big free block of time, try mixing up your time intervals. On your high-intensity days do 20-35 minutes; on low-intensity days do 45-60 minutes. Or 'accumulate' walks throughout the day. Doing three 10-minute walks gives you nearly the same health benefits and calorie burn as doing one 30-minute walk.

Try to vary every aspect of F.I.T. On great weeks you may walk five days with high intensity and long duration. On busy weeks you may walk three days, with low intensity and short duration. The best tip we can give you is to find what works for you and stick to it.

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