Step Up and Be Counted!!

One of the great things about walking for exercise is that you don't need a lot of fancy equipment to do it. With some comfortable clothes and a good pair of walking shoes, you're ready to go. However, there is one extra item that's definitely worth having: a pedometer.

A pedometer is a small, clip-on device that measures the number of steps you take. Using a pedometer is one of the best motivational techniques I know and, at a cost of only $15 or $25, it's inexpensive to boot.

You may have heard the recommendation that people should take 10,000 steps a day to maintain good health. This is ultimately a good number to shoot for, but if you are relatively inactive, you might want to start with a more attainable goal and build from there. I suggest walking around with the pedometer for a few days and averaging your daily totals to find out your usual number of steps, then adding 1,000 more as your goal. Once that becomes easy, add another thousand to your goal, and so on.

A pedometer gives you concrete evidence that you are meeting your goals as well as an incentive to take the stairs instead of the elevator. It's a fun way to track your walks and the rest of your daily activity, and you may be surprised by how much — or how little — you're already moving.

Today's small change is to consider using a pedometer. You can pick one up at any sporting-goods store. It should be worn at your waist and centered at the midline of your right or left thigh (where the crease in your pants would be). Reset it to zero at the beginning of your day or walk, and you'll have a simple way of tracking your activity.