Each month iVillage poses a different question to our Dream Team of experts. Here's what we asked this month: Should I bother exercising ‑- for example, walking a mile in the evening ‑- if I'm not getting my heart rate up?

Liz Neporent, MA
While it's true that a leisurely walk won't get you in shape to run a marathon, every bit of movement counts when it comes to improving your health. That evening stroll, even if it doesn't make your heart pound, will go a long way toward making you feel better, improving your stamina and protecting you against long-term health issues such as heart disease and cancer. And even if it doesn't help you lose weight, it might help prevent further weight gain. That's a pretty good deal for something that takes so little time and that's so easy to do.

The secret to using exercise for better health is to move as much as you can whenever you can. Accumulating at least 30 minutes of activity throughout the day is just as good as getting it all done in one shot. So besides that leisurely walk, look for other ways to ratchet up your activity level, such as walking the dog and taking the stairs.

Keep a movement journal for a couple of weeks to get an idea of how much (or how little) you're on the move. You can use the journal to spot your typical pattern and help you come up with ideas for increasing your activity. You might consider wearing a pedometer to track your daily step count, with the aim of getting in at least 5,000 steps a day to maintain your weight and 10,000 steps a day to begin losing weight.