I walked a huge amount during my pregnancy and now postpartum I have to force myself to get out the house before a day of mayhem begins. But every time I do, I immediately feel the benefits. Sometimes I walk with my daughter in the stroller but I also enjoy just being on my own. I come back feeling lovely and calm.

It’s amazing to me that with all this positive energy, I still find the hardest challenge is just pushing myself out the front door. There always seems to be an excuse or something to do, so I am inviting all you ladies who are procrastinators like me, to get off the couch or leave whatever you are doing and just go.

Ideally you should be walking at a brisk pace for an hour but if you are not in shape and have not been walking at all, then you might want to start with 30 minutes and build up. According to Debra Waterhouse who wrote, “Outsmarting The Female Fat Cell - After Pregnancy,” anything less that 45 minutes is not going to wake up your fat cells but the important first step is to get yourself into the swing of things.

Melissa Perlman and Erica Gragg founders of the acclaimed Amansala Spa in Mexico (they also set up a wonderful postpartum program) write in their book, Bikini Bootcamp, “In terms of burning calories, running for three miles burns more calories per minutes. But walking for three miles - though it may take longer - burns the same amount of calories…… Furthermore, studies also show that walkers tend to keep off more of the weight they lose than runners.”

Here are some tips to push you out onto the pavement…..

- Since we all get swamped with stuff to do during the day, try to do exercise either first thing in the morning or in the evening before or after dinner.

- If you cannot even speak while you are walking you are over exerting yourself. A comfortable pace should enable you to talk (either on cell phone or with buddy) while you walk.

- Find a friend who will walk with you. Always the most powerful incentive.

- Get yourself a comfy pair of sneakers and you might also want to get a sports bra for support. Especially if you are breastfeeding.

- Walk with your back straight, breathe deeply (ideally walk in a place where there are lots of trees), take long strides to really work your legs, bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle and move in time with your feet, pull your tummy in and look straight ahead.

Come on mama…. just do it.