Exercise Roundup: Walk More, Ease Into Running, Try An Electrolyte Tablet

You know you should exercise more ... and these news tidbits may help you get going.

Several presentations at this week's annual American College of Sports Medicine meeting look at the exercise deficit and some easy ways to exercise more:

• The average person only walks 5,000 - 6,000 of the recommended 10,000 steps per day
• Even golfers who use a cart walk about 6,300 steps in the course of a round -- but those who walk took over 13,000. Golfers who walk weigh an average of 13 pounds less than those who ride. Another benefit: the sport has "a low injury rate and high adherence rate."
• People who walk their dog weigh an average of 6 pounds less and are 10% more active than dog owners who just let their pets out the back door.

If you want to burn your calories faster, Newsweek has some tips for new runners:

• Buy the right shoes -- a specialty running shop is your best bet.
• Spend 15 minutes warming up
• Try to avoid running on concrete
• Don't try to do too much too soon

Those runners have a new way to speed post-run recovery. The New York Times looks at electrolyte tablets, a potential replacement for sports drinks. Their tester, a bike riding Ph.D. in physiology, liked Camelbak Elixir and Motor Tabs Fluid Replacement System.