Walk your way to fitness

You've been working at weight loss, but doing it the hard way: all diet, no exercise. Your kickboxing tape is still languishing in its cellophane wrapper; your hand weights are now doorstops. Perhaps you're holding out for a user-friendly fitness plan, one that doesn't require a life overhaul but still drops the pounds.

Quit waiting: The best fat-blasting workout is here -- and it's as easy as putting one foot in front of the other. Walking, that humble form of locomotion you mastered when you were a toddler requires no special skills or costly equipment. It's also a world-class de-flabber: Mile for mile, you can burn as many calories walking as you would jog, but with far less stress on your joints. And research shows that women who succeed at losing weight and keeping it off have one thing in common: They walk.

Think Brisk

Burning weight-loss-level calories isn't for wimps — think brisk, purposeful strides, not a bridesmaid's stroll. Your optimal pace for weight loss is roughly four miles per hour (or 15 minutes per mile), a goal you'll hit by month two. You'll build up to that speed by taking longer, quicker hikes each week, and by beefing up your workout with interval training -- alternating periods of low-intensity walking with a few minutes at a faster pace. In months two and three, expect to shed up to a pound a week -- even more if you're tackling steep hills and varied terrain.

Week 1 Goal: two or three walks, 20 to 30 minutes each, at about 2.5 - 3 mph. This week, focus on learning proper form and acclimatizing your body to exercise.

Week 2 Goal: four walks, 30 minutes each, at 3 mph. Start increasing your speed.

Week 3 Goal: four or five walks, 40 minutes each, at 3-4 mph. Add interval training to two or three of your workouts this week.