Walking is great exercise. It:-

• Gets you outdoors to (hopefully) fresh air
• Strengthens your legs and calves
• Keeps your hip, knee and ankle joints well lubricated
• Improves circulation
• Builds stamina
• Improves your mood by reducing stress
• Burns calories, most importantly.
  

If you add just 2000 more steps a day to your regular activities, you may never gain another pound. So says research by Dr. James O. Hill of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. To lose weight, add in more steps.

Sedentary people generally move only 2000-3000 steps a day. Previous studies have shown that moving 6000 steps a day significantly reduces risk of death, and 8000-10,000 a day promotes weight loss.

How far is 2000 steps? It is about a mile. But the benefits for health and for weight management don't depend on you walking a mile all at one time, but simply adding in more steps throughout the day.

Pedometers Count Steps

By wearing a pedometer all day, you are motivated to add in extra steps whenever you can. There are many little trips that can add up to a mile or two a day - parking further from the door of your destination, taking the stairs rather than the elevator, pace around as you talk on the telephone, take a marching-in-place minute once an hour.

Here are some ways to add steps to your day - remember your goal is 10,000:

• Park in the far back of the parking car park work, or at shop car parks 
• If you take a bus, get off the bus a few stops before your usual stop and walk the rest of the way
• Take the stairs
• Pace while waiting for meetings to start or while making phone calls
• Rather than phone or email, walk to a coworker's office or neighbours house and talk to them live.
• When people stop to talk with you, make it a moving meeting and walk around together while chatting.
• Hide the TV remote and walk to the TV to change channels.
• Get up and walk around during commercial breaks
• Dedicate a few minutes to walking each hour
• Walk during your lunch break
• Form a workplace, neighborhood or friends walking group
• Make a family habit of walking in the morning or after dinner (or both)
• Take an extra trip up and down your stairs, just for fun
• Bring your groceries into the house one bag at a time
• Take the dog for a walk, they’ll love you for it. Take your neighbors dog for a walk if you don’t have one!
• Pace while waiting for a meal to cook

"All in all, it is entertaining to ponder that such a seemingly insignificant gadget may be of practical importance in the war on obesity!" said Catrine Tudor-Locke, Ph.D., Department of Exercise and Wellness, Arizona State University in the conclusion of a report by the President's Council of Physical Fitness and Sports, June, 2002.

Walking Steps Equivalents

1 mile = 2100 average steps.
1 block = 200 average steps
10 minutes of walking = 1200 steps on average
Bicycling or swimming = 150 steps for each minute.
Weight lifting = 100 steps per minute
Rollerskating = 200 steps per minute