Turn Your Walk into a Workout

Walking is as simple as it gets for exercise. All you need is a good, supportive pair of walking shoes. Just a few extra steps each day is a simple and easy way to take an active role in maintaining a significantly healthier life.

Set a baseline. If you're not active now, start walking three times a week at a stroll for 20 minutes. Work your way up to five or so times a week, 30 minutes per session, for a total of 2.5 to 3 hours per week.

If you're already fit, kick up the intensity by doing one or more of the following:

Speed up: The easiest way to up the ante is to simply walk faster.

You may want to try race walking, which burns more calories. Brisk walking at 4 miles an hour burns 334 calories, and strolling at 3 miles per hour burns 221 calories, according to the research.

Remember to pump your arms but keep the movement compact. The larger the arm swing, the harder it is to move them faster.