Total fitness means having a body free from disease with muscles, heart and lungs developed to enhance strength, agility, and endurance so that the days' tasks may be performed easily and well. Total fitness also means having an alert mind free from undue worry, fear or anger. Ideally your mind will be fit and relaxed enough to engage readily with the challenge, opportunity or surprise that the moment presents. Total fitness also means having a free, strong, flexible and relaxed spirit that feels itself unselfishly a part of the grand adventure of life on earth.

So, back to earth, and to walking. Why not jog, you might wonder? Jogging is great for some people, but for many can create knee and ankle problems, urinary problems, headaches and in women menstrual problems. In fact, jogging is usually not the best choice in exercise for women. However, it is generally non-competitive, readily available and inexpensive. Your choice. Walkers and joggers both should invest in good shoes and wear 2 pairs of athletic socks or cushion your walking shoes with some kind of Dr. Scholl's or other thin spongy pad. The next trick is to figure out the best time of day for your walking constitutional. This should be tailored to your schedule needs, remembering that a brisk walk will keep you revved up for up to 5 hours. If you need to be alert and articulate at 9:00 AM on a regular basis, then yes indeed 7:00 AM is absolutely the best time for your brisk daily walk. By warming up your body, morning walks also warm up your mind. CAUTION: make sure to leave enough time for a pre-walk stretch (at least 10 minutes) and cool-down (at least 5 minutes). If you make your own schedule, the best time for fast-paced striding is late afternoon, when your body is well warmed, so you can stretch more fluidly, and simultaneously avert nervous tension at a time of day when anxiety tends to peak.

Here are some tips to enhance your workout, and boost your spirits. Don't be concerned if you attract a few stares. Be proud.

• Heel walks to strengthen the muscles in front of your shins and help stretch your hamstrings. Walk on your heels for about 50 yards.

• Crossing. To get more mobility in your hips, overextend your foot placement so that your feet are crossing over one another.

• Figure 8. Another good hip stretcher is to stride normally, but move in a somewhat tight figure 8 instead of a straight line. Feel your outside hip stretch while the inside hip rests.

• Quickstep. To loosen up your feet and ankles, take tiny steps as quickly as possible. Concentrate on quickly rocking your feet from heel to toe. Remember to stay slightly on the outside of your foot.