2,000 steps are all you need to live healthier

(NC) - There is no question that exercise improves your overall health. And one of the easiest ways to increase activity is to walk: you only need to take 2,000 steps a day to maintain your weight. If you're wondering how you could ever count that many steps, the answer is, you don't have to. Just clip on a step counter, like the ones found in specially marked boxes of Kellogg's Special K cererals and Vector meal replacement (while quantities last), and wear it the entire day to see how many steps you've taken. You can also donate your steps to Canada on the Move (www.canadaonthemove.ca), a research project sponsored by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to study the effectiveness of step counters in increasing physical activity.

If you find you're not taking enough steps in a day, Kellogg's offers some easy ways to help you reach 2,000 steps before you know it:

. Walk during your lunch break, or if you already walk, lengthen your jaunt

. Get off the bus earlier and walk farther to work

. Avoid elevators and escalators - take the stairs

. Park farther away in store parking lots

. Avoid drive-through restaurants - get out of your car and walk inside

. Join a walking group at your local gym or community center

. If you live in an apartment walk the halls and well-lit stairwells

. Take an after-dinner walk with your family

. Walk during television commercials - you will accumulate about 15 minutes of walking in a one-hour show.

. Walk the dog more often - good for you and your dog!

. Visit a shopping mall during bad weather, and walk around, window shopping as you go

. Take a 15-20 minute walk every day

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- News Canada