Working out at the gym can quickly become monotonous so to add some variation, I've decided to start walking to work. My new job is located in wine country in southern California, about 4 miles from where I live and I had to do some research to find out how long it will take me to walk there in order to determine when I should leave the house, to get there roughly around 9am. Here's what I found out.

The average person walks about 3 mph, which is a leisurely pace, about 120 steps a minute. Each step is approximately 2.5 feet wide which means that on average, a person will take 2,000 steps per mile walked. It is advisable to walk 10,000 steps or 5 miles a day to maintain peak health. Sedentary people may take only 1,000-3,000 steps a day and studies show that inactivity and poor diet (meaning less than 3 fresh fruits or vegetables a day) lead to disease, increased signs of aging, and decreased life span.

A fit person walking at a brisk 4 mph will cover the 4 mile distance in an hour. Although, always allow extra time for crossing streets, hills, and traffic lights. So even at a brisk pace, I'm going to give myself an extra 20 minutes which means I will leave home at 7:40 am tomorrow to get there at 9am because I know I've got some big hills to cover.

The more weight you carry, whether it is your own fat or extra hand/ankle weights, the more calories you will burn. Speed walking or race walking, will burn a third more calories than walking leisurely, as the technique and brisk pace engage more muscle groups. One pound of fat is 3500 calories. So to lose one pound a week, you have to have expend 3500, which means burning 3500 more calories through exercise, than what you eat each week.

If I walk 4 miles at a brisk 4 mph at my current weight (which, I'm not telling!) I will burn less than 400 calories. If I walk back from work, I can burn around 800 calories a day x 5 days = 4,000 calories/1 lb of fat as long as I keep away from fried foods, carbs, and large servings of protein. By increasing my daily intake of fruits and vegetables and staying away from sugar, alcohol, fat, meat and bread – I should be able to have a caloric debt of 3500 calories each week. If I decide to use the speed walking technique I can burn an extra 1,300 calories a week and if I add weights, an additional 1,300 apx calories - which, means I would lose 2 lbs a week instead of one.

It takes your body about 30 minutes to get into fat burning mode. When you start exercising, your body will grab all of the immediate sugars in your system for energy and then move onto stored fat. Walking at a moderate pace for 30 minutes will give your body the time to use up all the immediate sugars in your blood without exhausting yourself before you actually start burning fat. Also, be sure to strech your legs, arms, back and neck thoroughly before and after walking to alleviate any soreness. If you over do it, slip into a warm bath with 2 cups epsom salts, 1/2 cup sea salt, and a few drops of menthol or lavendar oil.

To add more weight and burn more calories, you can wear a weight belt around your hips as well as weighted wrist and ankle bands, which are usually filled with sand. Be sure to maintain good posture and hold your stomach in to work your core and alleviate the additional stress on your back. Tightening your stomach muscles and moving at a fast, easy clip, the extra weights will not be as cumbersome.

There are many different types of new walking shoes that promote gluteal and core fitness by the design of the rounded footbed, like a rocking horse. I haven't tried them out yet and can't seem to find any studies describing how they actually work. They look like Frankenstein shoes to me but, I might try a pair on and see if they are more comfortable than traditional walking shoes.

With a diet of more fresh fruits and vegetables, exercise, and fresh air – anyone can increase their metabolism and their state of health. If you are able to walk to the store, the library, to work, or to a friend's house – even if it is a few miles away, why not give it a try? Can you walk a 12 minute mile? Put yourself up to the challenge and reap the rewards of improved mood, tone body, beautiful skin, and a stronger immune system. All it takes is a little time.