Walking Success Stories: How I Got Healthy

Age: 42

Hometown: Portland, Oregon

Occupation: Certified Personal Coach

I've Walked to Get in Shape For: 2 years

Why I Started Walking: I wanted to relieve stress.

My Walking Routine: I meet my sister before work on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. We go for two- to four-mile walks, which last around 30 to 60 minutes. I also lead a three-mile beginner-to-immediate walk a few times per month.

How I Stay Motivated: I've been leading walking groups since July 2008. I wanted to meet other walkers, so I used meetup.com to form a group to go on Sunday walks in the Portland metropolitan area. It was a success and I have been heading up walks since. When I'm overseeing everyone, I have no excuse not to walk. I have to be there—it's accountability!

My Greatest Walking Achievement: I've made a lot of friends as a result of my group walks. I'm guessing I must have also logged at least 200 miles by now—and that's a conservative guess.

My Favorite Walking Fuel: Fresh fruit

How I Make My Walks Fun: I use my group walks to meet new people. I love to talk and it doesn't matter who I walk with. We always chat nonstop and the walk is over before we know it.

My Best Walking Tip: Invite people to walk with you. You might be the inspiration or push someone else is waiting for.