When you first start a walking program, one of the most liberating things to learn is that you will burn 100 calories per mile whether you amble, walk, run, jog or sprint a mile. Now that is great news!!!

If you are the tortoise OR the hare, you will burn approximately 100 calories for every mile walked. In our fast paced world, don’t worry about how long it takes you to make the finish line.

All you need to do is  add a few more steps here and there. Your extra steps will add up to your ultimate fitness goals.

So  walk briskly around a track or take a stroll through the mall window shopping for 1 mile.  The calories will be the same. Your brisk walk will give you more aeorbic benefits.  However, let's face it . . . ANY walking movement is better than being a couch potato.

Is it a hiking boot or a walking Shoe? The Vie Black Merrell Performance Footwear is an excellent women's shoe that is a cross between a hiking boot and a walking shoe.

This is an excellent shoe when you are not sure when you may find a long walk turning in to a hike. I have worn these shoes on the hiking trails in the Cinque Terre in Italy and dining at Tres Scalini in the Piazza Navona in Rome. My family is from Brittany in France which has a landscape much like you find in Maine and Maritime Canada. When I visited them my Merrill's were a life saver. I could go from touring Mont St. Michele to walking the rocky coast of Normandy and Brittany.