Each month diet and fitness expert, Rachael Anne Hill will be setting a shape up challenge designed to help you lose weight, tone up and feel great. So come one, join in and let us know via the forum how you're getting on! After all, what have you got to lose other than a few excess pounds!

March's Challenge: Start Walking the Walk
Forget what all those complicated diet books tell you. The key to weight loss is simple. You simply need to expend more calories than you eat. Walking is one way you can do this without needing to find a whole lot more time in your day. What's more it's free, easy to do and can be done by anyone, anywhere - even with kids in tow!

Studies show that walking 10,000 steps a day will not only significantly reduce your risk of many major lifestyle diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease but it will prevent you from gaining any more weight and if combined with a sensible, healthy eating regime it can be a great way of shedding excess pounds too. Unfortunately however, long hours sitting at a computer, evenings spent watching TV and the tendency to hop in the car to go even the shortest of distances mean that many of us do jut 2,000 - 3000 steps a day.

A great way to see how many steps you do is to invest in a pedometer - a small device available from most good sport shops that clips to your waist and counts your steps as you go. Prices start from as little as £2.99.

This month's challenge is to gradually aim for an average of 10,000 steps a day.

Start by wearing your pedometer every day for four days. Put it on when you get up in the morning and wear it until bed time. Record your daily steps in a log or notebook. By the end of the week you will know your average daily steps. All you need to do now is gradually aim to increase the amount of steps you do.

A reasonable goal for most people is to increase average daily steps each week by 500 per day. For example, if you currently average 3000 steps each day, your goal for week one is 3500 each day. Your week 2 goal is 4000 each day. Continue to increase each week and you should be averaging 10,000 steps by the end of 14 weeks.

N.B. For maximum benefit try to walk at a brisk pace - as you would if you were late for a meeting but don't want to break into a run.

If you are without a pedometer, follow this guide to measure your steps:

• 30 minutes moderately paced walking = approximately 4,000 steps
• 45 minutes moderately paced walking = approximately 7,500 steps
• 60 minutes briskly paced walking = approximately 10,000 steps

Here are just a few ways to up your daily step count ......

• Meeting friends for coffee? Take a brisk walk together instead.
• Walk the dog. If you don't have one, offer to walk someone elses!
• Use the stairs instead of the elevator
• Park farther from the supermarket, nursery or school.
• Forget the car, push the pram to the local shops and back
• Window shop
• Take the children to the local playground. Go with a friend and take it in turns for one of you to stay with the kids whilst the other does a brisk lap of the park.
• Plan a walking meeting
• Invest in a treadmill
• Get outside to walk around the garden or do a little weeding
• Take the kids on a cycle ride and walk along briskly beside them.
• Take a lunch time stroll around the block
• Enjoy a weekend hike through the countryside. If you have little ones invest in a sturdy baby carrier with padded straps and an adjustable waistband for extra support.

How to wear your pedometer
Slide the clip onto your belt or waistband. The most common placement is directly above and in line with your knee. However, you may have to experiment to find the best placement for your body type. If your tummy protrudes over your waistband or belt, it may cause the pedometer to tilt and not work properly. If this is the case try wearing the pedometer more to the side of your body. If your pedometer comes with a security strap, attach the strap's clip onto a belt loop, waistband or belt.

How Being Busy Can Make You Fit!
Integrated Exercise by Peta Bee is packed full of clever ways to effortlessly fit a workout into your daily life. With sections on everything from baby flexing (ways to tone up while bonding with your baby) to the Super Market Workout ‛how to use the weekly trolley dash' to get fitter and even how to ‛sofacise' - exercises to help you tone up whilst watching TV - you'll never be short on ideas for getting in shape!

Integrated Exercise by Peta Bee is published by Kyle Cathie Ltd, priced £14.99. Readers can buy a copy for the special price of £11.99 (inc free P+P, UK mainland only) by calling 01903 828503 and quoting ref. KC IE/MKB or email: mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk