The Consumer Electronics Show 2012 gave Innovations Awards to fitness gadgets that walkers may find useful. I've already tried two of them.

Gaiam Touch Heart Rate Monitor SE336 from Oregon Scientific: The watch has a sleek, buttonless thin design you don't mind wearing all day. It pairs with a chest strap heart rate monitor. It has fairly basic heart rate monitor functions, but is aimed towards users who just want to know if they are in the right zone and burning calories. Review | Compare Prices. I actually prefer their strapless model, the Touch ECG SE338 (Compare Prices), which looks similar and only takes your finger pulse.

Jawbone UP!: This activity monitor bracelet pairs with your iPhone to record your steps, sleep quality, and improve your diet. The feature I love is that you can set it to vibrate after a number of inactive minutes, to remind you to move more throughout the day. Unfortunately, they had a high rate of failure and are not available until they get a new batch with better components. I got a full refund while mine is still working great. I'll be posting a full review once they are back on the market.

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Did you know you are invisible? If you go out for a fitness walk or dog-walking in the early morning or evening this time of year, it's probably dark. Even walking through parking lots to the grocery store puts your pedestrian body at risk of not being seen by drivers. If you wear a running jacket, it might have some reflective striping. But most winter coats, ski jackets and hats are unreflective and come in muted, dark colors. You might as well be wearing a ninja suit - and your dog probably is invisible, too.

How to combat invisibility? Sillshield.com makes velcro-adhesive reflectors perfect for adding to backpack and purse straps, dog leashes, or sticking on knit caps or sweaters, or the back of your baseball/trucker cap. They weigh almost nothing and adhere to themselves so you don't damage your strap. I added them to my jacket zipper pulls, purse strap and favorite winter walking hat. I love finding small entrepreneurs who have solutions to these problems -- and can save lives.

More: Reflective items for walking in the dark

10 Ways to Get Killed Walking After Dark

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
Photo © Wendy Bumgardner 2012

What do you do when you don't have a pocket to carry your cell phone and the belt clips they sell seem to have it dangle precariously from your waistband? Hipzbag is a solution - a stylish redesign of the fanny pack for the iPhone age. Hipzbag Review

I want to fit in more fitness walks during my work breaks and lunches, and my iPhone is my constant companion to listen to podcasts or music while I walk. I don't find sport armbands convenient (it takes me a few minutes to get my phone into and out of one and rarely are the buttons actually convenient to use). With Hipzbag, you just slip it into the back slash pocket, and you can carry other essentials in the zippered pocket. You can either clip it to two belt loops or use a strap to wear it on your waist or hip. It's stylish enough to wear with a sweater or tunic.

There goes one more excuse not to get out walking!

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner

Want to be a shape other than round? You can rebuild yourself -- better, stronger, faster.

How to Get in Shape with Walking - a workout plan to shape up. Brisk walking and a combination of walking workouts can improve your cardiovascular aerobic fitness and endurance. For shaping, toning and muscle-building, add in workouts for the upper body, lower body, abs and core.

Walk of Life 10-Week Program - daily email assignments for the next 10 weeks to help you lose weight and shape up with walking.

You don't need a gym membership to get a good workout, although I admit I am much better at sticking with non-walking workouts if I have an exercise group or personal trainer to be accountable to. You can workout at home with a variety of fitness apps, videos, and podcasts to guide you.

I love kettlebells (pictured) for getting a good functional fitness workout. And with a set of resistance bands, you have a whole gym's worth of exercises that can fit into your purse or pack.

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner