Trying to Lose Baby Weight? Head To The Mall

Walking is a great way to shed those post-pregnancy pounds, but anyone who's accustomed to living through snowy, miserable winters knows that walking isn't necessarily a year-round option.

Mall walking has been popular among senior citizens for some time, but there's a growing number of new moms strolling among the stores, according to recent reports from Reuters.

Mall walking offers quite a few benefits over street walking: It's a climate-controlled environment, the surface is even, there's no car pollution or traffic, and you can breathe easier knowing that a bathroom is never far away. It may sound boring to outdoor enthusiasts, but no more boring then a TV-less treadmill. And for a 150-pound person, a hour of walking at a medium pace around a mall will burn 225 calories.

People have been tearing up the tiled floors at shopping centers all over America since the first enclosed mall popped up in 1956 in Minnesota. It really boomed in the '80s, and the Mall of America -- the biggest mall in the country, where one level is .57 miles around -- has offered various walking programs since 1992. They open the mall to walkers at 7 a.m. for those who want to take a stroll before the shops open.

Can't go to the mall without shopping? Don't worry -- shopping burns about 48,000 calories a year, too.

Would you try mall walking? Tell us in the comments below.