DO a lot of mall walking this holiday season.

It helps improve one?s endurance and strength. Walking also tones your lower body and decreases body fat.

Last-minute Christmas shopping burns calories. You can burn 150 to 200 calories just by walking 5,000 steps. It?s better if you use a pedometer.

It?s more enjoyable if you do it with friends and family.

It?s cheap and easy. According to Sara Donovan, author of ?The Mall Walking Madness? and founder of Walk Sport America, malls are the cheapest health clubs in town, and mall walking the easiest form of exercise in any weather.

Tips for a stress-free and safe mall walking:

Get enough sleep and make sure you?ve had a complete meal before shopping so you can easily resist high-calorie mall foods.

Prepare your shopping list and if possible, draw the list of stores and department stores you plan to window-shop to save time and energy.

Shop at non-peak hours, preferably before lunch so you can walk freely and avoid stress from the crowd.

Wear quality shoes to avoid discomfort and injuries especially in your ankles, knees, hips and back while walking.

I have asked the help of co-weight management coaches to count the total number of steps (using a pedometer) of major shopping malls in Makati and Taguig, and pick the healthiest mall foods. (Almost all of our clients who lost a significant amount of weight included mall walking as part of their weekly physical activity.)

Makati

1) Entrance of Greenbelt 1 to the new walkway connecting Greenbelt 1 and Greenbelt 5 (2nd floor), then to Landmark and Glorietta entrance (2nd floor)?1,000 steps.

2) Walking around three levels of Glorietta mall?4,000 steps.

Additional ones will come from your steps inside SM/Landmark/Rustan?s department store and supermarket.

Top healthy picks in the area:

Auntie Anne?s original pretzel without the dip, Big Chill, Fruit Magic and Fruitas shakes without the syrup, Delifrance salads with less dressing, Kenny Roger?s Roasters chicken without skin, Oliver?s sandwiches without mayo and Plato wraps.

Taguig

1) Whole circumference of Market! Market!, including the fashion and gift section, up to the 4th level?4,200 to 4,500 steps.

This will increase if you enter Metro department store, supermarket and boutiques around the mall. From the main entrance/exit of Market! Market!, pass through Serendra and walk all the way to the end section of Bonifacio High Street (Kabisera and ROX)?1,200 to 1,300 steps.

Top healthy picks:

Sandwiches and salads from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Seattle?s Best and Starbucks, Healthy Kitchen in Serendra.

Mandaluyong

1) Hyacintha Baliwas, a weight loss coach and registered nutritionist in Ortigas and Mandaluyong, completed 4,500 steps in walking all the floors of Megamall (A and B). Get extra steps from mall stores/boutiques, SM department store and supermarket.

Top healthy picks:

Sugarnot Café?s sugar-free drinks and pastries, Yogurbud kiosk?s yogurt flavored shakes/drinks, Bodhi?s vegetarian dishes, Kenny Roger?s Roasters sandwiches and chicken and Oliver?s mayo-free sandwiches.

South area

Armando Mendoza Jr., a licensed physical therapist and weight management coach, finished his task in three major malls:

1) Festival Mall, Alabang?4,500 steps
2) Mall of Asia?10,000 steps
3) Robinsons Manila?7,500 steps

Top healthy picks:

Tokyo Tokyo?s sushi and maki, Kenny Roger?s and Toto?s skinless chicken from Festival mall, Japanese corn from Robinson?s Manila, Bacolod chicken inasal, Pollo Loco and Naked Juice from Mall of Asia.

North area

Arvin Carina, a licensed physical therapist and weight management coach, did the following:

1) SM North Edsa and the Block ?7,000 steps.
2) Trinoma mall ?7,500 steps.

Top healthy picks:

Tomato-based pasta from Cibo, grilled chicken and fish in Fish and Co. from Trinoma, 5th Avenue fruit shakes, wheat ?putok? bread in Corner bakery from North Edsa mall.

E-mail the author at mitchfelipe@gmail.com.