Do you use a light for early morning or evening walks? Most of my walking is through areas with good streetlights. But I use a variety of lights for walks on paths that don't have lighting, and I'm always looking for a good light for camping and emergency use. I received samples of the Beam N Read LED Lights to review. These are hands-free lights worn around the neck. Its best use is for reading in bed and for lighting your way around the house if the power goes out or you don't want to turn on an overhead light. But for walking outside at an easy to moderate pace, it also works very well.

At faster paces, it is likely to pick up a sway, but at strolling speeds I found that it worked great for lighting the ground just where I needed it. How does this compare to a headlamp, lighted hat, or the GoMotion LiteBelt?

Headlamps are often the best solution for night running, fast walking, climbing, etc. They are designed for that purpose, and most of them allow you to adjust the angle to get the light right where you need it. The drawbacks are that they can be uncomfortable and they mess up your hair. They also look a bit odd to use outside of a fitness/sports situation, such as reading on an airplane.

I love using lighted hats, but usually it is hard to get the light to fall exactly where you need it. With some designs, I was spotlighting the horizon if I walked with my head up in the correct postural position. The Panther Vision PowerCap is finally a design that works, and I can take it traveling to use for daytime (a hat to keep sun off your head and out of your eyes) as well as night. But, hats give you hat hair.

I like the GoMotion LiteBelt as a hands-free solution for night walking and running. But it isn't versatile to use in other low light situations, such as around camp or if the power goes off at home.

Which brings us back to the Beam N Read. It is an item I could take traveling instead of a booklight or flashlight, and it would work great for camping, especially those after-dark trips down the trail to the restroom. I loved using it around the house at night. Various versions also have a magnifying lens and more LED bulbs, plus colored filters. Disclosure: A review sample was provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner

Watching the Super Bowl usually means eating and drinking. I'll be pre-burning some calories with a morning walk, but probably not enough to keep up with the treats. Here's an eye-opener on how far you'll need to walk to burn off the Super Bowl calories.

The calculation depends on your weight and a little bit on speed, so if you want to fine-tune it, use our Walking Calorie Calculator. I will be using a rule-of-thumb of 85 calories per mile, which is 150 pound person walking 4 mph. There are 17.6 football fields per mile.

• Beer 1 bottle: 110 calories = 1.3 miles = 23 football fields.
• Potato Chips 1 oz.: 150 calories per serving = 1.8 miles = 31 football fields.
• Popcorn (microwave butter flavor): 30 calories per cup = 0.4 miles = 6 football fields
• Hot Dog with Bun and condiments: 300 calories per serving = 3.5 miles = 62 football fields.
• Chili: 269 calories per serving = 3.2 mile = 56 football fields.
• Nachos: 336 calories per serving = 4.0 miles = 70 football fields.
• Chicken Wings - 3 oz. serving (3 segments): 190 calories = 2.2 miles = 39 football fields.

You can explore more food calories at Calorie Count. Everyone loves my Wendy's Chili Recipe.

Do you wonder whether the hours you spend on the treadmill or exercising will really pay off? A big study that has been following over 13,000 nurses since 1986 found that those who were healthy and exercising or walking for exercise in 1986 were less likely to have any of 10 major diseases or have had heart surgery by age 70. They also were less likely to have cognitive impairment, physical impairment or mental health problems.

"Increasing energy expenditure from walking was associated with a similar elevation in odds of successful survival," as those who got more exercise, according to the conclusion of the paper published on the findings of the Nurses' Health Study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, January 25, 2010. "These data provide evidence that higher levels of midlife physical activity are associated with exceptional health status among women who survive to older ages and corroborate the potential role of physical activity in improving overall health."

This is great confirmation that beyond helping manage your weight, walking and exercise is a great retirement investment! Even if you can't put much money into savings, you can save up a nest egg of health for your later years.

How to Start Walking

Walking: The Miracle Cure?

^{Source: Qi Sun; Mary K. Townsend; Olivia I. Okereke; Oscar H. Franco; Frank B. Hu; Francine Grodstein. "Physical Activity at Midlife in Relation to Successful Survival in Women at Age 70 Years or Older." Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(2):194-201.}

Wear red on Friday, Feb. 5 to draw attention to the leading killers of women in the USA - heart disease and stroke. More women than men die of heart disease each year. The American Heart Association is promoting Go Red for Women on Friday, Feb. 5 to raise awareness of heart disease and stroke in women.

• Heart Disease in Women
• Women and Stroke Risk
• Warning Signs of a Heart Attack
• Walking Cuts Heart Disease Risks

Logo © American Heart Association, used with permission