Walking can be great exercise, no doubt. But, what if you want to take things up a notch? I mean, you can only walk so fast before you're running, and if you have a set amount of time to workout, you can only walk for so long. But, regardless of how fast or how far you're walking, you can add weight to your workout to increase your calories burned, weight lost, and bone density.

A lot of experts have spoken out against hand and ankle weights because of the stress they put on your joints, but those aren't the only weights available. Gaiam offers a WalkVest Kit that includes a weighted vest and 30 minute workout DVD and 20 minute audio CD. The WalkVest was invented by Debbie Rocker, the inventor of Spinning, back in 2003. Debbie is a former professional athlete, World Record holder in cycling, fitness expert and personal trainer.

The WalkVest is currently used by people of all types -- health professionals, celebrities (like the recently slimmed down Valerie Bertinelli), professional athletes, and mere mortals like us. What's great is that it's adjustable, so it's comfortable whether you're big or small, plus the weight itself is adjustable. The WalkVest comes with eight half-pound weights, but you can purchase more weights -- up to 16 pounds!

Walking is certainly an effective workout, but if you're looking for a simple way to give your weight loss efforts a boost, this might be just what you need. Get the vest for $50 and five pounds of extra weight for $30.