Another study is being published that touts the benefits of walking as a healthy way to lose weight. According to a study by Ramblers’ Association of the UK, a brisk one-hour walk results in approximately 500 calories burned.

A specially commissioned study released by the Ramblers’ Association (RA) finds that a fast 60-minute walk covering 4.4 miles (7km) burns off about 500 calories.Now that pace is no stroll through the park but it is not race walking either.

From walking website :Grough

The results of the study were released to coincide with Get Walking Day, led by the RA’s new president, TV presenter Floella Benjamin. Ms Benjamin, a walker and marathon runner, said: “Walking is a great tonic; it keeps me fit in mind and body and really puts me in a positive mood. The more you do, the better you'll feel, even walking for half an hour five times a week makes a real difference.”

YOU: On A Diet, The Owner's Manual for Waist Management by Drs. Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz should be purchased for the graphics alone. Comic book style pictures accompany the articles which greatly enhances the readability of the book.

Find out why you crave chocolate or stuff yourself at a buffet.  Tips and factoids provide you with information on whether or not you should drink water or a sports drink, how many calories you burn per minute of exercise and much more. 

I found YOU: On A Diet to be worth the money for the way that it distinguishes between fact and fiction and its' easy to read style. Let's face it diet books are not great literature. We read them in the hopes of discovering a miracle that will help us lose weight without devoting all our free time to exercise.

Included in YOU: On A Diet are recipes, exercises, weight management strategies and personality tests to help you identify your own personal weight management challenges.

Are you trying to burn more calories without spending more time at the gym? If your answer is yes, then get yourself to the nearest set of stairs!

Walking up and down the stairs is great exercise and burns calories. You can burn about 300 calories for 30 minutes of walking the stairs depending on the intensity of your workout. But, beware, 30 minutes is a lot of time to spend walking up and down stairs. It is hard work.

I used to take an exercise class where the instructor would have us walk up and down about 10 flights of stairs. Everyone was exhausted by the time we were finished.

Weather too hot or cold to walk outside? Try walking in water at the nearest indoor pool.

Water aerobics is a great exercise for many people, but it is really not my cup of tea. I prefer to go to the pool and either swim or walk back and forth along the lane markers.

With all the walking I do outside I am always surprised with how tired I am after walking a few lengths of the pool. And I can definitely feel it in all of my muscles including my arms. But the best part is that I don't feel any pain in my joints. Swimming can bother my neck and running bothers everything. Because the water makes you buoyant, doing any exercise in water puts less stress on your joints and muscles than most other sports.

This article was contributed by Callie Leaver, a personal trainer in Atlanta, Georgia. If you have a question for Callie either post a comment or send it through the contact us section of this web-site.

Did you know experts estimate 15% of our children in the US are overweight? Did you know another 15% are at risk of becoming overweight? Experts also estimate that 2/3 of these children will carry their weight issues with them into adulthood. Take a look at the children in your life. Are they at risk? What can you do?

First of all, recognize you can be a role model for children. If you are not already participating in a fitness activity, start. An easy way to get started is going for a walk.

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.