Not enough can be said about the power of walking! When given the recommendation to "incorporate physical activity" into your life, too many people misinterpret this as having to spend extra money on specialized equipment and gym memberships. The answer to better health is right outside your door.

New research from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, LA, has added to the evidence that walking is good for overall health. Their study, published in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that getting in at least 10,000 steps each day can decrease the risk of a common condition called the metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that together increase the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes. About a third of adults in the United States have at least three of five of the symptoms that comprise the condition: excess abdominal girth (a waist greater than 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women), elevated blood pressure, high levels of blood glucose, excess triglycerides, and low levels of "good" HDL cholesterol.

Sedentary folks, those who take fewer than 5,000 steps a day, are the most likely to have metabolic syndrome. But just a little extra effort can go a long way. The study found that for each additional 1,000 steps, the participants experienced an 8 to 13% decrease in the odds of obesity, low HDL, and high triglycerides.

In addition to lowering weight and improving blood cholesterol levels, walking is shown to have a positive effect on blood pressure. In a 2007 study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, researchers found that just 30 minutes of walking three times a week can lower systolic blood pressure (the top number) by five points.

So how far exactly is 10,000 steps? According to The Walking Site, the average person's stride length is about 2.5 feet long, so it takes him or her about 2,000 steps to cover one mile.10,000 steps is approximately five miles. The average person burns about 100 calories for every mile walked (of course, depending upon factors such as weight, intensity, and speed), so increasing steps to 10,000 can burn 500 calories a day, potentially producing a weight loss of one pound per week without any other changes.

Monitoring steps doesn't cost a lot of money, but you will want to purchase a quality pedometer to get accurate results. Wendy Bumgardner, walking expert at About.com, offers advice on the best and most accurate brands to buy to reach your goals. She also offers a variety of walking logs to track your progress.

Here is a good way to increase the number of steps you take in a day:

• Carve out 30 minutes a day to walk two miles at a speed of about 4 mph (4,000 steps down!). If one big chunk of time isn't possible, break it up into three 10-minute breaks, but remember to keep up the intensity of the walk to cover as many steps as possible.
   
• During the work day, set your watch or computer alarm to go off every hour. Get up and walk to a co-workers office to deliver a message (instead of calling on the phone), carry a completed report to the boss (instead of relying on the courier), or just take a quick lap around the building.
   
• When running errands, park a little farther from the store's door than usual. Inside, take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
   
• At home, while watching TV or preparing dinner, try throwing in a few extra steps by changing channels the old-fashioned way, doing a quick in-place jog during commercials, or (my favorite) turning on a song and dancing in the kitchen while the food cooks.
   
• In the evenings, take the family on a stroll in the neighborhood or in a local park. You've already done one intense exercise today, so this doesn't have to be a strenuous workout. A nice relaxing walk can not only increase steps, but can relax you from the stresses of the day as well.

Adults who maintain an active lifestyle can reduce their risk factors for many chronic disease states. Start with what works best for you and your family, and increase from there.