Anna, Editorial Assistant

This weekend, I found myself unexpectedly pounding the pavement in search of a new apartment to rent. I finally decided on one that is about 3.5 miles from my new apartment--but a world away from my old neighborhood, which is always loud and bustling and where the employees at the corner coffee shop all know my name and sometime sign for my packages. This new neighborhood is quieter, a little more settled, much closer to Central Park, and much more anonymous. Once I had made my decision, I ended up walking back to my old apartment. I kept meaning to get on the bus, but I never got around to it. I loved seeing the fabric of the city weave together, to see how the buildings, the stores, the feeling of the streets seemed to change every 10 blocks or so. It was late afternoon, the trees were budding, there were a bunch of teenagers congregating outside the movie theater, sidewalk cafes were filling up with groups of friends or couples on dates, buses were awkwardly heaving down the avenues, dog leashes were getting tangled into each other, and I loved the luxury of taking the time to notice these details to make me feel at home.

Rachel, Editorial Assistant

Everyone at Family Circle has been on such a health kick lately—and it’s great! First, it was the start of the walking challenge and everyone was taking lunchtime strolls to add mileage to their pedometer, then several FC staffers went on this diet that will be featured in an upcoming issue. But, once the walking challenge is over and we’re done testing the diet, will people just return to their old eating and exercise habits? I really don’t think so. I’ve always considered myself healthy but I definitely took away some tips. For instance, in order to stay in shape you must walk at least 5 miles a day and in terms of dieting, it’s not about limiting calories it’s about making sure you have the right balance of protein, carbs and fat to keep you full for longer. You might consider this time consuming, but one thing I’ve started doing is tearing out the walking workouts from each issue and putting them in a binder and when the diet comes out I’ll be able to tear out the weekly menus and add them to the collection. In case I ever find myself in need of workout shake up or a treat that doesn’t consist of a roll of cookie dough, I’ll just flip through my binder.

Kara, Designer

I've been a very competitive person since I was a kid; so I surprised myself when I didn't run out the door instantly trying to run up those miles on my new pedometer. It ended up being very good timing that my boyfriend and I moved to a new apartment. Not only did this include lots of packing, multiple trips back and forth, loading and unloading (imagine if this pedometer could count calorie burn!) but it also involved more mileage covered in Ikea than I think anyone I know could compete with :-) Those treks through the largest store I've ever seen still haven't ended, to my boyfriend's dismay. However, I don't think shopping, no matter how vigorous, counts as real exercise unfortunately. So this past weekend we went on a great hike. It was only 4 miles but it had an 850 ft. altitude gain in the first mile and a half... so it was good and strenuous. I think those miles are much more rewarding. Until the next hike, I will be going out of my way to take long-cuts and detours :-) It's really surprising the difference it makes when you put in a little extra effort.

Wendy, Associate Home Editor

I recently traveled to Spain for nine days. I visited Madrid, Toledo, Jaen, Granada, Nijar, Cartagona, Valencia, Tarragona and Barcelona. Despite cloudy weather and some rain nearly everyday, I walked each city’s maze-like streets to discover historic architecture and remote cafes. I set a goal before I left to walk at least five miles per day since I average about two and a half miles on a daily basis in New York, but I actually ended up walking a lot more. I didn’t want to miss any of the non-touristy gems, so I found myself forgoing the convenience of cabs and tour buses to journey on foot. I had a great tour book that offered a walking tour in every town I stopped in, and I took full advantage of these. Of course, I rewarded myself with a few guilty pleasures. I found a delicious café tucked away on a tiny street in Madrid where they served piping hot churros (a Spanish donut) with a cup of melted chocolate for dipping. It was heavenly, so I indulged in a heaping serving, then walked it off.

Danielle, Assistant Photo Editor

I have a confession to make... I'm a total emotional eater. The moment I start to feel stressed, upset, or insecure, I reach for comfort food, or pretty much any food in sight. But with my wedding being less than two weeks away, and me finally approaching the healthy weight range for my height, the last thing I want to do is pack on the pounds, and mess up the progress I have been making. So, I have made some minor changes that are having a major impact.

In addition to stocking up on healthy snacks (carrot sticks, grapes, yogurt, etc), and not keeping food items around that I wouldn't want to eat in such a state, I am starting to get into the habit of going for a walk when I start to feel triggered. Even if I just go for an extra walk around the block with my dog, it really seems to do the trick. Although the stress or negative feelings may not totally be gone, I find myself feeling more relaxed, and confident knowing that I have taken control over something that I felt controlled me for so long... and I get the added bonus of logging extra miles on my pedometer!

Linda, Editor in Chief

With the relentlessly cold, rainy spring weather I was worried about keeping up my walking workouts—it’s hard for me to get motivated to walk outside in bad weather and nearly impossible to get my kids out there. So I decided to buy a treadmill. It’s a NordicTrack ViewPoint 3000 and I love it. It’s fairly compact and very easy to use. It has a 7-inch cable/DVD-ready flat screen TV (so I can walk while watching the morning news or keep up with Grey’s Anatomy at night), a music port to connect my iPod, speakers, and a cool feature called “iFit” which utilizes special flash memory cards that automatically adjust the treadmill’s incline and speed. The iFit system also works as a personal trainer to motivate me through my workout with tips on correct breathing, good posture, and more. With the treadmill I have no problem reaching at least 10,000 steps and day and no excuses not to walk. My three kids are hooked—often fighting over who gets to use the treadmill! And my husband, who never thought he could get a tough enough workout by walking on a treadmill, realized he was wrong and loves it too.

Stephanie, Associate Editor

I feel like it's been gray forever. Every day I check weather.com so I know what to wear and it just says "cold." Or maybe, to spice things up, "cold and windy." It's also been rainy for days. Days! My workouts take place underground in the gym because the weather outside is just too gross. But it seems there may be some light on the horizon: sunlight, that is. This weekend, just in time for Earth Day celebrations, it's supposed to be lovely. Springlike! According to weather.com, Saturday’s outlook is "sunny with a high of 68 degrees." This means I don't have to be sequestered inside on the treadmill anymore. This means I can go outside and walk in Central Park. This means I can actually feel like spring has sprung. At last! Finally. Here comes the sun.

Anna, Editorial Assistant

When I was in high school, my mom had a rule that if I was mad at her, we could only talk about it after my swim practice. She knew my high-strung tendencies all too well and knew that, for me, I need time to diffuse the situation. For the most part, I'm much more even tempered, but when I get mad, before I start an argument or say things I might regret, I need to think--and sweat--it out at the gym. I've become so well conditioned to the fact that physical activity reduces stress for me that I actually make sure to schedule extra time for the gym during extra busy weeks. Case in point: this morning was a typical rushed morning, I couldn't find my keys, and I left the apartment 15 minutes later than I meant to. I was already frazzled when I got to the bus stop, which was completely crowded. Instead of waiting for the bus and the inevitable jostling, I walked to the subway--about half a mile from my apartment. Even though it took 15 minutes, I feel like what it saved (my sanity!) was immeasurable.

Rachel, Editorial Assistant

I still love my pedometer, but now I have a new motivation to get outside for a walk—company. Honestly, it makes such a difference. Last Friday was free scoop day at Baskin-Robbins and even though it was cold and windy outside a few of the editors and myself gathered up the courage to take a brisk walk to get a scoop 4 blocks away. Yes, we were getting ice cream, but we were also walking so the calories consumed cancelled out the calories burned, right? Well even if it didn’t we had a blast on our work break, enjoyed a little treat, and increased our mileage on those pedometers. Next time you need a break from work, gather the troops and head outside, whether it’s for a treat or to gossip.

Gay, Senior Editor

I don't need to lose weight, thank goodness. But like most folks I do have to be careful. I find I'm worrying a little less about my weight. Knowing I'm in the habit of taking those extra steps helps me relax. As long as I keep eating moderate amounts of healthy foods, and keep moving the bod, I know I'll be fine.

Jennifer, Editorial Assistant

Some boots are made for walking, but pointy, back, leather, slingbacks with a 3.5-inch heel certainly are not. Unfortunately, I learned that the hard way this past weekend. I’ve been participating in the walking challenge for a few weeks now, but haven’t been pushing myself as much as I would like to. So, I decided that my two feet were going to be my only mode of transportation from the time I left work on Friday until the time I jumped into bed Sunday night. I got off to a rough start since I forgot to bring shoes to change in to after work, but I managed to walk over 40 blocks and four flights of stairs to get to my home in my fabulous, yet painful shoes. No pain, no gain—right? With more sensible shoes the rest of the weekend went smoothly, I stumbled upon a Scottish parade, found a fantastic pickle store while running errands ,and managed to log more than 15 miles!

I’m lucky that I live in a city where walking is a feasible mode of transportation, but even if I lived elsewhere I may be more inclined to walk now, just to see what fun, new places and things might be waiting for me around the corner.

Cindy, Assistant Food Editor

Wearing this pedometer, I am constantly amazed at how all of my insignificant daily responsibilities are further away than I thought! Just doing the laundry around the corner (multiple trips) on a recent Sunday had me walking a full half-mile. Grocery shopping followed, and the indecision that had me walking up and down the aisles added up to an additional third of a mile. So I guess I should be thankful that I'm not incredibly wealthy and have an assistant to do my daily bidding, as she'd be the one getting fit, not me!

Anna, Editorial Assistant

On Tuesday, I walked to run practice, as per usual. When I got there and changed into my running gear, I just didn't feel good--I had a blister on my foot, was more than a little distracted by a lot of nagging things that I need to get done, and it was cold. I was about to walk out without going to practice at all when one of the employees at the running shop where I leave my stuff stopped me. He asked where I was going, and I told him the truth (that spending the hour in the Border's next door browsing through the magazine rack sounded MUCH more appealing). Instead of letting me go, he took my jacket hostage and told me I had to at least try for 2 minutes--if I still wasn't feeling it, I could leave AND he would give me my jacket back.

So, I didn't really have too much of a choice and headed outside. I ended up only running about 2 and a half miles before stopping--I honestly still didn't feel great and couldn't get my mind off my blister, the cold or all the tasks I still had left to do. I'm glad I went out and I'm also glad I listened to my body--I know it wasn't a failure not to go the full five miles and that something is better than nothing. Generally, I think I will apply this sort of thinking to all of my workout routines: if I'm on the fence about going out or not, I'll get changed and begin. If I honestly still don't feel good, then I can totally take the day off, guilt free.

Gay, Senior Editor

Amazing! Another great development. Couple days ago I decided, on the heels of several 5 mile days, that I'd aim for six. I was staying in town to talk to a friend's writing class and NYU and decided to walk everywhere. By the end of the night I had walked 7.66 miles! I still can't believe it.

Riki, Research Editor

It doesn’t surprise me that I walk between 2.5 and 3 miles a day. I live in the city without a car. I walk to the subway, to work, to get lunch, to take a break. I have a dog that gets a walk three times a day. Every errand requires at least a two or three block trek. And, I while away most weekend days walking around and discovering what new sites and stores have sprung up in my neighborhood when my head was turned.

What did surprise me was how little walking I did when I visited my parents in suburban Pennsylvania over a few days during Passover. One day, I did less than half a mile. At the end of the day that’s exactly how I felt: apathetic and tired. I didn’t feel like walking my dog or doing anything physical. So my second day, after my mom asked me what I wanted for lunch, I decided to walk to the local shopping center for some sandwiches instead of driving. It was not a long walk by any means. But the lack of people out that day was testament to how little exercise people get in the suburbs. It was about 80-degrees, and a Sunday. I didn’t see any kids playing outside, and only saw one or two other walkers and bikers. After returning to my mother’s house with the sandwiches, she told me she forgot to ask if I would pick up some groceries at the same shopping center. I could have taken her car. It was about a half hour walk to and back, but less than a 5 minutes drive. It was so beautiful that I decided to walk again. I clocked much less than 2 miles that day—and that was when I made an effort.

Taking a look at how much I actually walk on a daily basis these past few months may not have increased my walking by much. But now whenever the city gets under my skin and I wonder if maybe I would be happier with a driveway and a car, I know exactly what will happen: I’ll walk a whole lot less. I enjoy walks around my neighborhood too much for that to happen.

Nancy Weinberg Simon, Beauty Editor

I'm the first to admit that I'm no techie—I use a filofax, not a blackberry and I have an ipod but don't even know how to add any songs. It took me years to get a cell phone (only for emergencies) and my best friends don't even know my number! So, I'm sure you can imagine that when I was asked to wear this little gadget, I wasn't too excited. To be honest, I didn't think it would affect my fitness level at all. Well, after wearing it for one day I was shocked I'd logged a disappointing 1.83 miles, and this was a very typical day for me. I commute to work in the city daily and raise two young children on the outskirts of town so I'm used to driving everywhere. My exercise was crammed into the gym on the weekends. Clearly something had to change. I needed to find little ways to get my fitness number up, away from the embarrassing less than 2 miles per day. And then it hit me. I needed to ditch the car! I found that if I walk to and from the train station from my home and then to and from the office from Penn Station in the city I easily clock in at just under five miles, effortlessly. And the beauty of it is that it takes the same amount of time as driving and parking and taking subways once I'm in NY—and it even saves me $140 a month. Definitely a win-win situation.

Gay, Senior Editor

Last time, I wrote about how it takes 21 days to form a new habit. Today I put that to the test. I forgot to put on the pedometer in my rush to get out the door this morning. But, based on the weeks of using the pedometer, I felt propelled to walk across town rather than take the subway, even if I couldn't watch the miles ticking up. So the pedometer did its job in getting me to make better choices, even without hanging from my waistband.

Danielle, Assistant Photo Editor

My pedometer and I went to Las Vegas last weekend for my cousin's wedding. I was concerned that such a trip would get in the way of the progress I have been making, but it actually had the opposite affect. Having my pedometer with me really kept me on track and focused, even though I was far from home and surrounded by luscious food and drinks the entire time. I was surprised to learn that I actually ended up losing weight by the end of the trip, instead of the weight gain or plateau that I expected. I clocked in at 15.99 miles for my 3 day trip, and I barely left the hotel. It's amazing, but just walking from one end of a hotel to the other and back again can really be a good workout, not to mention walking through airports, and dancing the night away at a wedding! And yes, I even had it on during the rehearsal dinner and the wedding.

Anna, Editorial Assistant

Confession: Although I consider myself pretty fit, I have NEVER been a runner. But, I've always admired people who actually believed running was fun. For me, running is anything but fun--it's sweaty, makes it hard for me to breathe, and I feel like I'm never going fast enough. I remember, one time, when I was 10 or 11, I entered a 1-mile fun run in my town, which gave out medals for every age group. I was absolutely determined to win a medal for the 12-and-under age group. Nothing else mattered. I sprinted as fast as possible, but ended up just shy of third place. After the run, I told my mother, in between gasping for breaths, that I would NEVER run again. Too hard!

Fast forward to the present. Last year, I decided to do a triathlon to raise money to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which required me to run a 10K--after a 1 mile swim and a 25 mile bike ride. And I did it--(and did pretty well, if I do say so myself in 3 hours and 12 minutes)--while raising over $2,500 in sponsorships from friends and family. Not only that, but I actually had FUN--even during the last mile. This year, I've gotten competitive with myself. I am planning on raising over $3,000 AND going under 3 hours. So, to shave minutes off my time, I need to tackle the running. I just did a 10K in Central Park on Sunday, and, I'll admit it, it's sometimes hard for me to do these things knowing I won't be THE BEST, and, unlike my tiny town's fun run, there's not even a CHANCE of placing. Still, my times are getting better and knowing that I can take on a challenge is awesome.

Karmen, Creative Director

After brunch on Sunday my friends and I--9 of us--walked from 2nd street and 1st Ave to 27th street and 3rd Avenue for Karaoke at Japas 27! I sang "Champagne Supernova," "I Wanna be Adored," and "Hot Child in the City" and burned 180 calories walking. How many calories does Karaoke burn?

Jonna, Senior Editor

My son was being especially charming this morning, and I admit, I lingered over saying goodbye; for some reason, it was harder today than usual. The extra couple minutes of hugs and kisses cost me my 8am bus, which I saw whiz by as I was walking down the street. It's 20 minutes until the next one, so normally when this happens, I go back home and use the snippet of time to throw in laundry or wash dishes or pay the bills online, some tedious 10-minute task. As a full-time working mom, you kind of have to be that much of a time utilizer. But today, I decided to use the time to walk as far as I could and catch the bus further down the line. Knowing my pedometer was faithfully tracking my steps, it wasn't a tough decision. I got in a 20-minute walk before 8:30 am, and I felt good about it. My next plan is to reorganize my morning slightly, so that I can walk to a farther-away bus stop on purpose at least a couple mornings a week. I'm really getting into this "found" exercise thing.