Aerobic exercise can be any level of intensity but it must be continuous. If you stop when you're walking, it's not aerobic. To be aerobic, your exercise should get your heart rate 50 to 80 percent above your resting heart rate, a pulse measurement taken after you have rested for at least ten minutes.

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Taking your pulse is a simple way to estimate how hard your heart is working during your walk.

To determine your target zone or ideal range:

Subtract your age from 220

Multiply this number by 50 or 60 percent, depending on your doctor's recommendation; 80 percent would be the highest.

The result is what you should aim for during exercise for twenty to thirty minutes.

To feel your heartbeat or pulse:

• Place your index and middle fingers on the inner side of your wrist or on your neck about three inches below the bottom of your ear, just to the side of your Adam's apple
  
  
• Press firmly to feel for a throbbing sensation. If you are taking someone else's pulse, don't use your thumb or you'll feel your own pulse along with the other person's
  
  
• Use a watch with a second hand, a digital stop watch, or a digital pulse meter to time yourself
  
  
• Count the beats for 10 seconds
  
  
• Multiply that number by 6 to get the number of beats per minute