Time is a precious commodity and finding time to exercise can be difficult. I  try to squeeze in some exercise while my kids are at practice. Because of their various practice locations, I often find myself running in different areas. I have at least four routes in three cities. But before I blindly go running in unfamiliar territory, I plan my route using Gmaps Pedometer.

Whether you are a runner, walker, bicyclist, skater, hiker, or professional cart wheeler, this is a great tool to plan your route and know how many miles you will be covering – it will even tell you how many calories you will burn. You can input your starting point in the Jump In field across the top and use the Zoom feature to pinpoint your location. There are several options along the left-hand side which you can configure to your liking. I prefer to use the manual setting as sometimes I run through a park, which is not a marked street and can only be properly measured manually. You can also save your routes for future reference.

Always remember: safety first. Before I start a new route, I drive the route first (if possible) to find out if there are sidewalks, crosswalks, proper lighting, how much traffic to expect, etc. and that the route is generally safe (drivers who fail to yield to people in crosswalks not withstanding). For trails and parks, you should consider going with a friend. And always remember to let someone know where you are going and when to expect you back.

Happy trails!