If you want to lose weight grab the leash and head out your door with your best friend. Walking with your dog is healthy for both you and your dog.

A study conducted by the University of Missouri-Columbia shows that dogs help their owners lose weight. Rebecca Johnson, an associate professor of nursing and the director of the College of Veterinary Medicine's Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction says "our goal was to look for ways to increase the average exercise regimen, and we found being responsible for a pet, such as committing to walk a loaner dog, encouraged people who did not own dogs to walk more often and for longer periods of time."

Walking is an endeavor that almost anyone can enjoy. Unlike other pastimes and forms of exercise that require special training or equipment, walking is the great leveler.

There is no lifeguard to keep a watchful eye on walkers, so you have to take responsibility for your safety. In a battle between a pedestrian and a car, the pedestrian will always lose. You as a walker need to pay attention to the cars around you, because they are most likely not going to be paying attention to you.

This article was written by Callie Leaver, a Certified Personal Trainer in Atlanta, Georgia.

Okay I'll be honest; walking as a form of exercise just isn't my thing. I am a jogger/runner and have been for many years. But in 2001, along with other friends, I signed up for the Avon 3 Day Walk, which is now known as the Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk. The walk was 20 miles a day for three days straight. We decided to participate in the walk after several close friends were diagnosed with breast cancer.

The training was very different from my running regimen. Often I found myself dreading those long walk training days. Throughout I kept in mind the true reason I was walking and how much my participation and fund raising meant to my friends and others impacted by the disease. I often recalled meeting with my friends after their scheduled treatment and how ill they felt. Somehow, they managed to smile. These memories kept me in check and kept me walking.

By now most people have heard of Steve Vaught a "portly" man who has embarked on a walk across the US. Steve is known as "The Fat Man Walking" and has captured the imagination of the public and the attention of the media.

Who is the "fat man walking"? Steve Vaught is 39 years old and married with two children. When he started his walk on April 10, 2005, he weighed upwards of 400 pounds. He has since lost somewhere around 50 pounds on his walk from San Diego to New York City. Steve is about halfway there: he has completed 1409 miles and still has 1407 miles to go. He is now in Oklahoma.

If you are looking for an inspiration to get in shape set your goal on hiking the Cinque Terre in Italy. The Cinque Terre, is located on the Ligurian coast in western Italy. The Cinque Terre consists of five villages linked together by hiking trails. The trails range from very easy to difficult. Additional hiking trails veer off from the main trails connecting the villages. The villages, trails and beaches are all beautiful.

All of the main trails offer spectacular views of the Mediterranean Sea. With the exception of the trail linking Vernazza and Corneglia which leads away from the water the paths take you along cliffs high above the Sea.

On the trail from Monterossa al Mare to Vernazza you will wander through vineyards, over stone walls and along the Mediterranean Sea. The trails that run from Monterossa to Vernazza and Vernazza to Corniglia are the most difficult of the four trails. You will need a light weight hiking boot or hiking tennis shoe to make the trip comfortably. There are few handrails and the trail can be narrow in places so you need to bring a walking stick if you have balance problems. If you do not feel that you can walk the whole trail you can walk part of it and enjoy the view. You may encounter bees, bugs and birds so be prepared with an antihistamine (like Benadryl), bug spray and your binoculars.