Contributed by Charlie Stehman

If you happen to be going to the Los Alamos region of New Mexico for purposes of business or pleasure, there is a wonderful walk waiting to happen at the Tsankawi Trail. The Tsankawi Trail is just a mile or so out of Los Alamos on Highway 4 east of Los Alamos. A simple sign on the east side of this busy highway marks the trail. It is easy to miss.

Now, if you are going to the Los Alamos area you are either going there to conduct ultra secret business at the Los Alamos National Laboratories, or you are a tourist. As a tourist, the first time you approach Los Alamos you can sense that something is different there; it's a little too sterile, too quiet and just a little spooky! The town doesn't look anything like the countryside that surrounds it.

Tourists visiting Los Alamos can visit the Bradbury Science Museum, situated at the National Laboratories. This museum gives the history and some limited insight into the mission of the National Laboratories, but not many walking opportunities. Alternatively, tourists can and should visit the fascinating ruins of the Anasazi cliff dwellers, who inhabited this region from about 900 to 500 years ago.

Millions of people walk every day for health without encountering people who want to do them harm. The fact that most of us will never be attacked while we are walking does not mean that we should not be aware of a few simple safety tips.

Here are some tips to keep you safe on your walk:

• Many people enjoy walking alone. If you walk alone, be sure to stick to well-known, well-populated areas, and avoid walking alone once it gets dark.

• If you have one take your dog with you. It does not matter how big or small they are, they will make a lot of noise if something out of the ordinary happens. It will also make you a less desirable target.

This article was contributed by Callie Leaver, a Certified Personal Trainer.

We hear about the health benefits of walking or other exercise on TV, in the newspapers and from our friends and family. In fact, we hear so much about it that it can almost begin to sound like background noise and we start to discount it.

What exactly are the benefits of daily physical activity including the health benefits of walking? According to the American Heart Association the benefits of daily physical activity are as follows:

This article was contributed by Callie Leaver, a Certified Personal Trainer.

It is as simple as that: you want to get in better shape and so you just start walking. Most of us are aware that there are many health benefits associated with walking, it is just a matter of making the time.

We hear over and over again how 30 minutes of exercise every day is good for us. Even knowing about the health benefits of walking we still have a difficult time fitting it in our busy schedules.

So how do you get started? What can you do to get on the right path to start experiencing the benefits that our doctors keep telling us about? The easiest way to get started in an exercise program is to start walking. The best part is that we all know how to walk.