No time to exercise? That's the number one reason people give for skipping their workouts. But we probably didn't have to tell you that. You're reading this article in between getting the kids off to school and racing to your next appointment. That's why you need an exercise program that fits into the nooks and crannies of your life.

"Lifestyle" walking is one of the few forms of exercise that you slip seamlessly into your everyday life. It's the type of casual, low-intensity walking style you do when you walk around the mall, to the train station and around the supermarket aisles. Lifestyle walking is such a simple activity that you may think it's not worth doing. After all, how much benefit can you get from what is essentially a glorified stroll? A lot, as it turns out.

When you lifestyle walk, you strengthen and tone your calves, thighs, hips, abdominals and lower back. In recent years, major research studies have found that walking as little as a mile a day at a comfortable pace reduces your risk of heart disease, increases stamina and improves overall health. It has also been shown to reduce stress and fatigue as well as improve self-esteem and mood.

The key to successful lifestyle walking is consistency rather than intensity. We recommend that you walk 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week. Aim to burn at least 500 calories through walking each week to bolster your health and make noticeable improvements in stamina. (You burn about 100 calories a mile.) If your goal is weight loss, walk enough to burn 1,500 calories a week; for most of us that's an accumulated mileage of about 15 to 20 miles a week.