One of the most convenient and useful places to walk — and eventually run — is a high-school (or any other type of school) track. Convenient, because most towns have tracks even if they don't have sidewalks. Useful because you'll know exactly how far you're walking, and there are usually bleachers.

Bleachers turn a walk into a workout. First, you can run or even walk up them to burn more calories and tone your butt in a way nothing else can. Second, you can actually do some exercises on them to work your whole body.

Most tracks are a quarter mile long, so you can quantify your walk in a number of ways. You can time how long it takes you to walk that quarter — mile, and try to walk faster and longer each time. Or you can figure out how long you want to walk and just try to do that walk faster each time. Or you can just try to go a longer distance.

But the best thing to do might be a well-rounded 40-minute workout like this:

• Warm up by walking around the track once.

• Walk quickly around the track once.

• Jog as far as you can, then walk around the rest of the track. Do this eight times.

• Go over to the bleachers. Walk up the steps. Come down quickly.

• Now walk up the seats of the bleachers (if they are benches). Or, if you can, take the steps two at a time. Come down. Do this four times.

• Go to the bottom of the steps to do some lunges, pushups, dips, squats, and ab exercises (see the following descriptions).

Lunges

Put your right foot on the bottom bleacher and step back with your left foot. Your right knee should be slightly bent. Bend your left knee into a lunge while your right knee is also bent, but your left knee shouldn't go past your ankle or toes. You can keep your hands by your sides, or bend your elbows and raise your arms up to your shoulders. Do this lunge sixteen times.

Then stand on your left leg and bend your right knee, bringing your right foot toward your butt. Hold on to your foot. This will stretch your quadriceps muscle. Do the lunge on the other side (with your left foot on the bleacher) and then stretch your left quadriceps.

Pushups

Put both hands on the bottom bleacher and then step about three feet away, getting into a pushup position. Make sure you are a straight line from your head to your heels. Exhale, bend your elbows, and come down toward the step, keeping your eyes looking forward toward the next step. On an inhale, come up. Try to do this five times, working your way up to sixteen.

When you've finished, stretch your arms out to the side, toward your back, while making sure you keep your shoulders pressed away from your ears, to stretch out your chest.

Dips

Sit down on the lowest bench. Put your hands on either side of your hips, and slide your butt off the seat as you stretch your legs straight out in front of you, heels on the ground, toes pointing up. Keep your shoulders away from your ears, and contract your abs. Bend your elbows and lower your torso down toward the ground, keeping your elbows in. Straighten your arms and come up. Try to do this up to sixteen times.

You should feel this in your triceps (the backs of your arms) so when you're done, stand up and bring your right arm up and behind your head. Bend your elbow, dropping your forearm behind your head, and put your left hand on your right elbow. Press down a little to stretch your tricep. If this exercise ever gets too easy, you can always do another set of dips.

Squats

Stand a foot or two in front of the bleachers, facing away from them. Keeping your shoulders away from your ears and your abs contracted, bend your knees and squat down, bringing your butt close to — but not touching — the bleacher. This should take two counts. Hold at the bottom for another two counts, then come up, which should take yet another two counts. Do this sixteen times.

To stretch, turn around and face the bleachers. Put your hands on the bottom bleacher and, maintaining your balance, put your right foot on your left knee and bend your left knee. You'll feel this stretch in your butt. If this exercise gets too easy, you can do another set (or two).

Knee-ups

Sit on the first bleacher, legs out, hands by your hips, shoulders down, abs contracted. Lean back a bit and pick your feet up off the ground. Keeping your abs tight and your legs together, bend your knees and bring them in toward your chest. Straighten them again. Repeat fifteen times. Do this slowly.

Twists

Sit on the first bleacher, legs out, shoulders down, abs contracted, arms at shoulder height in a circle (fingertips together, elbows apart). Lean your torso back, keeping your abs together. Now, turn to your right and, as you do this, move your right arm to the right and look to the right. Come back to center and repeat to the left. Do this fifteen times on each side.

At the end of these two ab moves, stand up, contract your abs a bit, and relax your shoulders. Then reach your arms up, keeping your shoulders down, and lean back, pushing your hips forward a bit. Hold this for 20 to 30 seconds. Come back to the start position, and keeping your arms over your head, tilt your torso to the right. Hold this for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat to the left.