January 26, 2011 by Marcia Jess

The message is simple: Move More and Eat Less!   

Why not take the pledge today?  By making just 2 small daily changes you can start on the road to improving your health!   Take 2,000 more steps over baseline–about 1 mile–and eat 100 fewer calories– by eating smarter.

Walking is a daily activity that most people can do. It is a good way to increase physical activity, yet is not physically difficult nor take a lot of extra time.  And it requires no special equipment other than a good pair of shoes.  To track your progress, wear a step counter for a minimum of 3 days in a row (preferably for 1 week), with at least one of the days being a day off (e.g., weekend, day off work).

• Put on the step counter after getting dressed in the morning and wear it all day.

• Be sure to reset the step counter at the beginning of each day.

• Record the number of steps taken at the end of each day.

• Try to engage in your usual activities rather than add activity to your usual routine for the first week– this is your baseline. Then try to increase your baseline activity by 2,000 steps each day.

The average American adult gains 1-3 pounds each year. Eating smarter with 100 fewer calories a day can benefit overall health and prevent that extra weight gain.

Check out the America On the Move website for information, support, and tracking options: www.americaonthemove.org