According to About.com, National Walk to Work Day is held the first Friday of April in the USA, beginning in 2004. The day is promoted by Prevention magazine and endorsed by the US Department of Health and Human Services and the American Podiatric Medical Association. The following are snippets from the article: How to Participate: You are encouraged to walk for all or part of your commute to work. Aim for a minimum 15 minute walk each way. If you take public transportation, try walking to a further stop before boarding, or getting off a stop early and walking the rest of the distance to work. If your commute is too long, make it a Walk to Lunch Day. Invite your co-workers to join with you for Walk to Work Day, or join you in a Walk to Lunch. The Goal – Add Healthy Steps to Your Day: Walking for 30-60 minutes a day greatly reduces your risk of dying from heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. By finding a way to make walking part of each day, you are giving yourself proven health benefits far beyond any promised by herbs, vitamins, or prescription drugs. Walking for 30 minutes a day as part of your work commute or lunch puts you into the “Moderate Physical Activity” category and greatly lowers your health risks. Dressing for Walking: Your walking shoes should be comfortable for walking for 15-30 minutes at a stretch. If your work shoes don’t work for walking, wear athletic shoes and carry along your work shoes to change into. For April, dress for the weather with a jacket (water-resistant, with hood in rainy climates). Carry your necessary papers, purse, etc. in a small backpack. Use a Pedometer and Stop Weight Gain:  A pedometer can motivate you to log more steps each day. Experts say if we all added 2000 more steps to our day, we wouldn’t gain another pound. To read the full article, click here. As we’ve mentioned before, HR Strategies’ internal employees are wearing pedometers for the HumanaVitality health and wellness program! How can you help your office become a healthier place?