Women are lacing up their walking shoes and hitting the streets.

Walking has long been the most popular form of exercise in the U.S. In fact, 30% of active Americans say it's their sweat session of choice, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Almost 80% of us stroll regularly for leisure, sport or to get from point A to point B the low-carbon way. But walking only recently shed its dowdy suburban image and started a renaissance as a serious workout--one that's increasingly popular among savvy urban women.

One San Francisco woman who used to think it wasn't 'real' exercise to walk, has now decided to trade her three-inch heels for pavement-friendly flats. She now covers up to 20 miles a week. And not only has she improved her commute to work, she is also more toned than she used to be.

She bravely admits that walking burns enough calories that she don't have to make any of my favorite foods off-limit. She explained that when she can't hit the gym in the middle of a rough day at work, she can always squeeze in a quick 10-minute stroll to clear my head.

Guys, you too can do it.

Exersise Should Be a Part of your Daily Routine

Part of the reason sticking to a diet or exercise program is so difficult is because people think of it as just that. It’s a program that they have to force themselves to stick to until they can finally lose the fat and be off the diet. But that’s not a productive or effective way to lose weight. Also, it often leads to extreme frustration because once you stop the diet or exercise routine, the fat usually comes right back in a matter of weeks.

So if you’re serious about losing belly fat and becoming a trimmer, healthier person, you have to treat what you eat not as a diet but as your new eating habits. It’s not a diet; it’s a lifestyle. And the same goes for exercise. You’re not simply exercising every day for a few months in order to get more in shape. The exercise must become a part of your everyday routine. To that end, it’s not something that you’ll stop once you’re pleased with the way you look.

Five Ways to Focus on an Exercise Routine

Some of us just feel like a big, bloated whale 90 percent of the time. Also sluggish, tired, stressed and sad. A crappy economy will do that to you.

Even though we know that we should be exercising, it is sometimes troubling to stick to the routine.

Here are five favorites that can keep you going:

1. Exercise on Mondays. This helps set the mental pattern for the week.

2. Don't skip two days in a row. You can miss one day, but the next day, you must exercise no matter how inconvenient it seems.

3. Don't link exercise to weight loss. Because if you don't lose weight easily, you're likely to ditch your exercise routine if you believe it's not working.

4. You must exercise frequently. If you think you're staying in shape by doing yoga once a week, you're wrong. It's not enough. You should be exercising four or five times a week.

5. Look for affordable ways to make exercising more pleasant. Can you upgrade to a nicer gym? Buy new workout clothes? Get a trainer? Exercise is important, so don't feel bad spending a little cash on it (if you can).

Dog Is a Man's Best Workout Motivater

It is always helpful to workout with company. Most choose a partner, if for no other reason but for motivation when they are about to quit from either exhaustion or frustration.

Man’s best friend has proven to be a superb partner. Since living and exercising with a dog teaches you to integrate fitness in a natural way. It's not always about putting gym clothes on, but instead you learn to burn calories by heading to the dog park and exploring hiking trails. Folks find themselves walking for an hour a day, and often plan two- or three-hour excursions on weekends, which help to improve their attitudes towards exercise.

A word of caution before you go off and adopt a dog for the fitness benefits, though, remember that unlike a set of stretchy bands, the total tail-wagging package comes with a fair share of slobbering and shedding. So be warned and good luck.

A Long Holiday Weekend Binge

If this past weekend was like many other long Holiday weekends, and you met with family and friends and think you might have overdone it a little, you're not alone. Many people have also experienced similar long weekend which wreaked havoc on their waistline. So what can be done after a few days of binging?

Simply Get Moving:

You can't take back all the bratwursts you downed, but you can undo the damage with a fat-torching workout. Just tack these bonus exercises onto the end of your regular routine this week.

Squats and lunges target your glutes, quads, hamsrings, and hip flexors, stoking your body for post-workout calorie burning. Plus, working your largest muscle groups takes your fat-burning up a notch.

Remember, it took a weekend to develop, so don’t expect to drop the jelly-belly in just a couple of hours.

Workout Tips from Real People

Here are 5 useful and practical, "It Works for Me" weight-loss tips from folks who have battled with unwanted belly fat, and have seen various levels of success.

1. Satisfy your taste buds and you'll eat less. By adding flavor to your foods (hot sauce, cracked black pepper, sea salt, and spices), you’ll find it easier to skimp on calories.

2. Do pushups on a pair of 30-pound hexagonal dumbbells. After every rep, from the up position, pull one dumbbell up to your chest. Slowly return it to the floor, then pull the other dumbbell to your chest. Place it back on the floor, then hit another pushup, and repeat.

3. Try to eat dinner before 7 p.m. so your body has a few hours to burn the calories off before you go to bed.

4. Crunchy vegetables trick me into thinking I'm eating more than I really am. I bring a baggie full of cut-up vegetables to work for snacks: celery sticks, red pepper slices, cucumbers, carrot sticks, anything I have in my refrigerator crisper. I get the same crunch satisfaction that I'd get from eating those sour dough pretzels I used to gorge on for a fraction of the calories and a whole lot more nutrients.

5. Instead of adding breadcrumbs to ground beef or turkey when you make meatballs, add a handful of flaxseeds and sesame seeds, then grate a few carrots and a touch of hard cheese into the mixture. All that will add bulk, fiber, and more nutrients without affecting the flavor of the meatballs in your spaghetti sauce.

Tips for Choosing a New Gym

Even though it may not seem that way, choosing a new gym is an important decision. A lot of thought and consideration should go into choosing a good gym. After all, this is the place where you will shed that unwanted belly fat. Consider the following when choosing a new gym:

1. Location: Often, a gym located somewhere between your home and office is best. When you’re crunched for time, having a gym close by will make things easier on your schedule.

2. Hours: While some gyms are open 24 hours a day, others are not. Whether you workout early in the morning or late at night, make sure the hours fit your schedule, or you’ll be paying for something you can’t access.

3. Members: Some gyms are co-ed, while some are same-sex only. You should feel relaxed in your exercise environment, not embarrassed or intimidated. Will you be comfortable exercising around the current members? On your tour, does the gym seem overly crowded?

4. Staff: The staff should be supportive and courteous, ready to answer questions or spot you on a machine if needed. Ask about their certifications. If you need a trainer, what are their rates?

5. Cleanliness: Make sure that towels are available to wipe off the equipment after each use. Peek into the locker rooms, showers, toilets and sinks to see that they’re properly maintained.

6. Equipment: Are there enough of the "popular" machines to go around. Is there a wide variety of machines available? Notice whether the staff is available to help you; And be cautious of out-of-order machines; this might be indicative of a poorly maintained gym.

7. Classes: Make sure that the classes you want to take are offered at the times you can attend. If group classes are the staple of your exercise program, find out if the gym charges extra for that.

8. Fees: Cost is probably the deciding factor when choosing a gym. Sign-up fees are often waived during certain promotions. Take a look at the payment schedule. Is it monthly, or do you have to commit to a year membership? Can you cancel without penalty?

Killer Abs Protect Woman in Recent Accident

Being fit and improving your overall health can come in handy at times. Here is a report I must share with you.

Last month, a 47-year-old British woman, with killer abs, was about to take off on a paraglider in Andalusia, Spain, when a gust of wind lifted her up and flipped her over. She was dragged across the rough ground, with her stomach getting pummeled by rocks, according to ABC News.

"I got a smack in my abdomen, right across it with a big rock," the British woman said.

But thanks to her well-toned abs, the injuries she suffered -- a torn liver and pancreas, some scratches and numerous bruises -- could've been much worse.

The doctors said someone with those injuries would be sent straight into surgery, but she was told that because of her fitness level, she would be spared surgery. Her muscles had helped and saved her from anything worse.'"

Dr. Lisa Callahan, medical director of the Women's Sports Medicine Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, said the stronger your "musculoskeletal system" is, the more your internal organs will be protected.

But in general, healthy people are better able to recover from serious injuries because their heart rates tend to be lower, which reduces the risk of internal bleeding. They can heal faster too because their bodies are better at processing oxygen.

Want to Stop Headaches? Drop the Weight

As strange as it may sound, people with excess belly fat are more likely to suffer from migraine headaches reports Drexel University College of Medicine. A study of 22,000 men and women found that waist size is linked to migraine headaches for both genders. In presenting this study, researchers note that between ages 20 to 55 the migraine activity can increase as the belly fat increases.

Migraine sufferers often describe the pain as a “vice grip around the head”. Perhaps one way to loosen that grip is to tighten the belt. If you or someone you care about suffers from migraine headaches, this study offers hope. Imagine how free you could feel to reduce or eliminate migraine headaches by losing weight. That’s a double benefit because in losing weight you are more energetic, active and look your best. If you are looking for weight loss motivation, keep in mind this double benefit. Lose the fat, lose the headache.

Lose Stomach Fat in Time for Summer

If you are concerned about a jelly belly and want to shed inches from your waistline, you are just in time. Below are proven tips on losing belly fat, which is not only good for the coming bikini season but also for your health, since extra inches around your waist can increase your chances of developing cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

1. Do interval training. If you like to walk or run on the treadmill, or if running outside is more your thing, then make sure to increase your heart rate with intervals. Intervals help trigger the body to release adrenaline, which in turn tells the body to burn stored fat. Be sure to also include a five-minute warm-up and cool-down.

2. No white stuff. Stay away from anything "white" - white rice, white flour, white bread, white pasta and all things overly processed.

3. Drink milk. A study in Obesity Research showed that eating three to four servings of dairy products a day is more effective at enhancing weight loss efforts than calcium supplementation alone with pills or calcium-fortified foods.

4. Work your obliques. Be sure to do more than your standard sit-up. Because the oblique muscles act like the body's own Spandx, it is important to keep the obliques strong as they will pull your midsection and keep it tight. Pilates is also a great way to tone your abs and work deep core muscles.

Diet and Exercise Slow Cancer Survivors' Functional Decline

A study has suggested that practicing healthy lifestyle behaviours can reduce the rate of functional decline among older, overweight long-term survivors of colorectal, breast and prostate cancer.

Impressively, a home-based diet and exercise program slowed the decline of physical function in older, overweight cancer survivors, the new research found.

The study participants included 641 people in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, aged 65 to 91, who were overweight and were long-term (five years or more) survivors of breast, prostate and colorectal cancer.

Some were assigned to a control group, while others were assigned to a 12-month intervention program that included telephone counseling, mailed materials promoting exercise, improved diet, and modest weight loss.

The study found that duration of strength-training exercise and endurance exercise minutes increased in the intervention group but stayed the same in the control group.

The researchers also found that the average intake of fruits and vegetables increased by 1.24 daily servings in the intervention group and by 0.13 daily servings in the control group.

At the start of the study, the average functional score for all the participants was 75.7 out of 100, which is comparable with the midpoint score for men and women aged 65 or older. By the end of the study, functional scores had declined an average of 2.15 points in the intervention group, compared to a decline of 4.84 points in the control group.