We're Talking Walking.

Do you like to hike? It's a great way to stay in super shape. Just 10,000 steps a day can put you miles closer to fitness.

Sound tough? Nah -- most people take about 4,000 steps a day anyway. Fill out your total by taking these simple steps:

1. Stay on your toes -- Leave the bike at home; Don't beg a ride. Just walking to your friends' houses and back will add plenty of steps.

2. Be a helpful hoofer -- Doing big favors for your family and neighbors will mean lots of steps.

3. Make it fun -- Watch our pages for suggestions, like this issue's "Take a Butterfly Hike" (page 7), giving you tips for top traipsing.

Keeping Count

If you lose count taking your 10,000 steps, must you start over? Luckily, a device called a pedometer (ped-AH-met-ur) attaches to your belt and counts strides for you. Some can convert your strides to miles. One high-tech brand will actually transmit your activity level to a Web site, where you can log on and view reports and graphs showing how much you've walked and run. It's a great way to get up to date and in shape at the same time!

The Real Walkmans

* FM radio pedometers;

* Shoe pedometers;

* Pulse-counting pedometers;

* Panic-alarm pedometers;

* Kilometer pedometers;

* Tamaguchi-style pedometers that get stronger the longer you walk;

* There are even antique Lone Ranger pedometers available on an Internet auction site.

The Sport Brain pedometer, which will track your activity and log it on a Web page.

See the Internet site www.sportbrain.com for details.