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" You know that exercising will make weight loss easier...getting yourself to start, though, can be unbelievably difficult. So make it simple: Just walk. You definitely know how; you&amp;#039;ve been doing it since you were about a year old! But these days, you probably find yourself behind the wheel more often than on foot. A recent study of women ages 40 to 66, conducted at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, found that those who walked more than others had a lower percentage of body fat, not to mention a smaller waist and hips. So how can you add more movement to your life? It&amp;#039;s all about counting your steps. Here&amp;#039;s the thing about steps: They are small, but they add up. If you take 5,000 additional steps each day, you can burn about 200 calories (this is only an estimate \u2014 your weight and the speed you are walking both factor in). That&amp;#039;s not a huge number of calories, but hear me out. I&amp;#039;m going to start you with a seven-day plan that includes about 5,000 steps (roughly two and a half miles) each weekday and about 10,000 steps (about five miles) per day on the weekend; repeat this for a month and you should lose two pounds or more in that time \u2014 without even changing your diet. Once the 45,000-step week starts to feel easy, take me up on the 5,000-step bonus; you&amp;#039;ll see even better results. An inexpensive pedometer (for GH Research Institute picks, see GHI Test: Pedometers) will help, but you can also base your steps on the time and pace I&amp;#039;ve provided. On your mark...get set...lose weight! The Seven-Day Walk-It-Off Plan PACE GUIDE Stroll: comfortable, about 100 steps per minute, 3 mph  Moderate: with purpose, about 120 steps per minute, 3.5 mph Brisk: fast, about 135 steps per minute, 4 mph SUNDAY A.M.: Day at the races. Get the whole family out for five 5-minute walking heats. Pace: brisk. Goal: 3,375 steps in 25 min. P.M.: Zoo trip. Make sure you&amp;#039;re moving while looking! Pace: stroll. Goal: 5,000 steps in 50 min.  Pet walk. If you don&amp;#039;t have a dog, ask to borrow the neighbor&amp;#039;s. Pace: stroll. Goal: 1,700 steps in 17 min. MONDAY A.M.: Walk to work. Park just over a mile from your office. Pace: brisk. Goal: 2,700 steps in 20 min. P.M.: Walk from work. Go back to where your car is parked. Pace: brisk. Goal: 2,700 steps in 20 min. BONUS!: Walk-by. Visit a pal who lives 25 minutes away. Pace: stroll. Goal: 5,000 steps in 50 min. TUESDAY A.M.: Gripe &amp;#039;n&amp;#039; hike. Grab a friend or colleague and walk off your frustrations. Pace: moderate. Goal: 2,040 steps in 17 min. P.M.: Moonlight move. Take your hubby for a romantic jaunt. Pace: stroll. Goal: 3,000 steps in 30 min. BONUS!: Power lunch. Spend part of your lunch hour walking. Pace: brisk. Goal: 5,130 steps in 38 min. WEDNESDAY A.M.: Walk to work. (see Monday) P.M.: Walk from work. (see Monday) BONUS!: Day breaks. Plan three 13-minute walks \u2014 to get lunch, to run an errand, etc. Pace: brisk. Goal: 5,265 steps in 39 min.  THURSDAY A.M.: Morning meditation. Enjoy the silence. Pace: stroll. Goal: 2,000 steps in 20 min. P.M.: Talk trek. Grab your cell phone and start walking. Pace: stroll. Goal: 3,000 steps in 30 min. BONUS!: Reward time. Go get yourself a low-calorie yogurt \u2014 a treat for walking to the store and back! Pace: stroll. Goal: 5,000 steps in 50 min.  FRIDAY A.M.: Walk to work. (see Monday) P.M.: Gripe &amp;#039;n&amp;#039; hike. (see Tuesday) Grocery a-go-go. Take your cart for a lap around the store, up and down each aisle once, before you begin shopping. Pace: stroll. Goal: 500 steps in 5 min. BONUS!: Happy hour. Leave work on time and go for a speed walk around the area. Pace: brisk. Goal: 4,995 steps in 37 min. SATURDAY A.M.: Mom walk. Hit the road while you&amp;#039;re waiting for your kids to finish their weekend activities (soccer, ballet, piano, etc.). Pace: moderate. Goal: 3,600 steps in 30 min. P.M.: Nature trek. Take to a nearby trail and get in touch with your greener side while you&amp;#039;re hiking. Pace: moderate. Goal: 5,000 steps in 42 min. Mall walking. As if you needed an excuse for window-shopping! Pace: stroll. Goal: 1,400 steps in 14 min. If you feel like you&amp;#039;re walking on a weight-loss plateau, here are some easy ways to take your workout to the next level \u2014 and boost your calorie burn:  \u2022 Walk faster. Take more steps per minute. (But avoid taking much longer strides; that may put stress on your joints.)  \u2022 Add weight. I prefer weighted vests and belts to hand weights, which can cause neck strain. Check out the Contour-Weight belt from Spri ($25 for the six-pound belt, $30 for nine pounds, $35 for 12 pounds; spriproducts.com) and the Walkvest by Debbie Rocker ($79.95; walkvest.com).  \u2022 Head for the hills. If there aren&amp;#039;t any for you to scale in your neighborhood, find a staircase and climb all the way up and then down again. Or if you&amp;#039;re using a treadmill, adjust the incline.  \u2022 Get &amp;quot;unstable.&amp;quot; Walk on soft surfaces (sand or grass) \u2014 your muscles will work harder to maintain your balance. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/fitness/a15260/walking-workout-aug04/?src=shelter_footer>