CRANBERRY TWP — As the saying goes, the journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.

The first step is often the most difficult, but this should not discourage people from becoming more active, said Tarina Visone, who organized a walking group in Cranberry Township,

"(Walking) is something that mostly everyone can do," said Visone, a nutrition and lifestyle counselor based in New Castle. "All it takes is putting on your walking gear and getting out the door."

The Cranberry walking group meets at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at North Boundary Park and communicates via www.MeetUp.com, an online network of local interest groups.

About 20 women are registered online, and attendance varies. Members are encouraged to invite family members and friends.

"You can bring your friends, your kids, your spouse," said Sue Shirron of Mars. "It's not boring like running around a track."

The tree-lined one-mile path wraps around the outside of the park, winding up and down some gently sloping hills.

The gravel walking path is accessible and just challenging enough, Shirron said.

"We just did a third of a mile and it doesn't feel like it," Shirron said at an outing last week. "We're walking fast but we're still able to talk."

Participants meet at the Cranberry Township Community Waterpark and usually break off into groups according to fitness level, Visone said. Beginners often start with one lap around the path while more advanced walkers go around two or three times.

"I started out walking one mile a day," said Shirron, who began walking in March. "Now I'm up to five miles a day."

People of all fitness levels can participate, since walking is an easy, low-impact activity, Visone said.

The group setting helps motivate those who have trouble making time for exercise.

"If you know someone is out there waiting for you at the walking site, you're more apt to go," Visone said. "It helps people to know that somebody is going to be there for them and not only that, they can be there for someone else."

Susan Miller of Ellwood City said Visone pushed her to start walking after her hip replacement surgery.

"The best part of the group? Motivation," Miller said, adding it is especially beneficial to beginners. "They'll walk twice as far as they thought they could."

The social aspect also helps those who are easily bored by fitness routines.

"It doesn't feel like exercise when you're walking with other people. It's more like a social hour," Visone said. "It just doesn't feel like work."

The evening walks are better-attended, Visone said, since most people do not have time to walk in the morning due to work, family or other obligations.

"In the evening, they can see their children and have everything settled before going out to walk," she said. "It's a more relaxed time and it's more convenient."

Visone also has organized smaller walking groups in Beaver Falls and New Castle and is currently looking for indoor walking areas for the fall and winter.

She said it is important for the groups to continue walking together, no matter what.

"Sometimes when you go to the gym or have a personal trainer, it feels like you've been beaten up," she said. "This makes exercising fun."

Walking boosts both physical and mental health, said Stacy Kriedeman, a Pennsylvania Department of Health spokeswoman.

"Regular physical activity will lead to stronger, healthier bones and muscles and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and osteoporosis," she said. "It can also improve your mood, self- esteem and sense of well-being."

Walking is a great way to exercise because it is gentler on joints than jogging or tennis and more convenient than other low-impact activities like swimming, Kriedeman said.

"Walking is about the easiest thing you can do," Kriedeman said. "Talk to your health care provider, get yourself a good pair of sneakers and just get moving."

For information, contact Visone at 724-498-6022 or tarinavisone@yahoo.com.

Here are some estimates on calories burned at a moderate and brisk pace:Number of calories a 150-pound person burns walking at a moderate pace of about 3 mph:<B>Time Distance Calories Burned</B>10 minutes 0.5 miles 4420 minutes 1 mile 8830 minutes 1.5 miles 13240 minutes, 2 miles 17650 minutes 2.5 miles 21960 minutes 3 miles 263Number of calories a 150-pound person burns walking at a brisk pace (4 mph)<B>Time Distance calories Burned</B>10 minutes .67 miles, 6120 minutes 1.33 mile 12230 minutes 2 miles 18340 minutes 2.67 miles, 24450 minutes 3.33 miles, 30560 minutes 4 miles 366SOURCE: Department of Cambridge Community Development, www.cambridgema.gov/~CDD/et/ped/ped_hlth.html