Preferred Care's Mall Walking Guide
It's Time to Work Out ... Indoors!

Rochester-area shopping malls open early for walkers!  At Preferred Care, we're always looking for fun ideas to help you be more active. Mall walking is an easy way to add variety that can help you stick with your walking program.

What makes mall walking so popular?

• Out of the weather: inside a climate controlled mall, you can dress comfortably and not worry about wind, rain, snow, ice, heat.
• Away from the traffic: no intersections to cross, uneven pavement, or exhaust fumes from cars.
• Security: you'll be walking with others and with mall security on duty.
• Restrooms and water: always nearby in the mall.

Mall walkers often go for the exercise and stay for the friends they make. After walking for 30-60 minutes, you can chat over coffee or breakfast in the mall.  Keeping a regular mall walking date with friends also helps you stay motivated - you'll be missed if you don't go!

Try mall walking once or twice a week. (If you mall-walk all the time you may lose interest in walking past the same stores, and the hard walking surface can lead to aching joints.) You can use Preferred Care's mall-walking guide below to plan your walk - we've included walking hours at area malls, and measured the distance you can cover if you walk all the way around one time. See you at the mall!

Health Tip: Stick close to store windows to make the biggest loop around the mall and cover the most distance. (This also makes for better window shopping!)

Last updated: January 16, 2006