Most of us rely on a vehicle to get from one place to another. Stop to think of the places you drive during your day. How many are within walking distance?

We all know that physical activity, like walking, is a key to living longer, healthier lives. You can get in more steps by walking to do your errands and other tasks.

Walking helps us lose weight, gain energy, reduce disease risk, and improve our health in other ways. Even small walks—as little as 15 minutes—can add up to big benefits.

Get Creative

Dedicated walking, though, may be hard to work in. So if you want to pay attention to your health while still paying attention to all the other parts of life, you have to get creative. It helps to use walking as a way to accomplish daily activities. Add some of these ideas to your daily routine:

• Forgot the milk? Put on your walking shoes when you have to make a small shopping trip. Obviously you can't walk to the store when you have a full list of items to lug home. But to pick up just a few things, use your legs instead of your car.
• Take a walk to your local bank branch to do your banking. Check out your neighborhood and use the same thinking for the dry cleaners, post office, barber shop, and other services.
• Meet family or friends for lunch. Mid-day meals tend to be more casual than dinners. So you can dress in comfortable clothes suitable for a walk to the restaurant. If there's a theater nearby, you can top off your outing by walking to an afternoon movie.
• Looking to buy or rent a new home? Consider walking through neighborhoods to survey your options. This gives you time to really see each house as you pass by. You'll notice little details you might have missed if you just drove through. Stop and talk to residents to get a feel for the overall community atmosphere.
• Gather gardening ideas. Find an area with attractive landscaping. Walk along the streets noting flowers, shrubs, plants, and trees you could use at your own home.
• Need a gift? Take a purposeful walk through an antique mall or art fair to get that special item.
• Be sociable. Get outside and say "hi" to a neighbor and chat a while rather than doing a drive-by wave. Make it a point to say "hello" to someone every day.

By walking to take care of your daily responsibilities, you make your time count toward a most valuable priority—your health.

AARP Resources

Step Up to Better Health
This inspiring program helps you increase the number of steps you take each day, no matter how active you are now. Each day, clip on a small counter that records every step you take. Then log your step totals online to track your progress along famous American routes—Lewis & Clark Trail, Alaska Military Highway, Appalachian Trail, or Highway 50.

Get Fit on Route 66
This is a fun, nostalgic trip down America's most famous highway—The Mother Road, Main Street of America—from the shores of Lake Michigan to the California coast. Choose from 66 activities—including walking. Your exercise minutes are converted to miles along the highway. Visit our Route 66 Diner for recipes or try the Backseat Driver feature where friends can opt in to see each other's progress.

Staying Motivated
Read the many articles on AARP's site that will help you stay the course and keep walking.