Don't delay breakfast. Don't skip breakfast just because your day is hectic; eating in the morning helps keep your body at its metabolism-boosting best. Eat a filling breakfast soon after you wake up so your body will be ready to burn energy; try these make-ahead healthy breakfast ideas for grab-and-go mornings.

Muscle up. Overdoing it over the holiday may have still you upping your cardio, but don't forget to add strength-training to your routine as well to build more calorie-burning muscle. Start your day off with this 10-minute muscle-building workout to increase your metabolism and look your best this holiday.

Midmorning snack. Snacking is a good strategy for maintaining weight, but make sure you choose ones that are filling and healthy. Choose ones that have fat-burning properties for an extra boost for your metabolism. Winter foods like pear and cinnamon are a tasty way to burn fat; check out more metabolism-boosting foods here!

This article originally appeared on fitsugar.com

Ready to ramp up your walking routine? Here's one place you probably shouldn't cut corners: Your pedometer. Pedometers that gauge movement with a flimsy mechanism called a hairspring and that cost less than $15 (like the ones you get with fast-food kids' meals, for example) often wear out within six months and may give you wrong information, according to a recent Real Simple article.

But you don't have to spend a fortune to track your steps: Springing for just $25 should get you a more sturdy coil-spring or electronic device that lasts longer and promises better accuracy, found researchers at Montana State University.

In fact, additional stats, such as distance, speed, and calories burned tend to be inaccurate no matter how much a pedometer costs (unless it's equipped with additional instruments such as a heart rate monitor or GPS)—so don't be swayed by expensive devices that promise these extra numbers without the science to back it up.

Here are some of our favorite pedometers on the market, for every price point and fitness level.

• Oregon Scientific Pedometer with Calorie Counter and 7-Day Memory ($25) is a great basic model that clips to your belt and is easy enough for even the least tech-savvy walkers. If you're willing to spend up to $50, Oregon Scientific also has smaller and sleeker wrist-watch or "AnyWear" models, and models with features like an FM radio or a panic alarm.
• The Strollometer ($40) is great for new moms who want to walk off the baby weight—baby in tow. It fits to any stroller with an easy to read display. While it doesn't measure steps, it will give you a good idea of your total miles traveled.
• Omron's Hip Pedometer ($17.28) clips easily to your belt and resets every midnight; it also has a 7-day memory. A larger Digital Premium model ($22) has dual motion sensors that let you carry it in a bag or purse, to track your true progress all throughout the day.
• Sportline's 303 Thinq Pedometer ($30) won Health magazine's pick for best pedometer in 2008, and it's still a favorite more than a year later. The cute, credit card–size device slips into your pocket and includes a sports timer, as well.
• Garmin's Forerunner 50 ($99–$199) wristwatch includes an optional heart rate monitor and "foot pod" that measures distance via GPS technology when clipped into your shoes. Data is wirelessly transferred to your computer after your workout, so you can easily track your progress.

 

Now that you've got your gear, the next thing you need is a great place to walk—an enjoyable route that will keep you coming back and actually looking forward to your strolls. Visit MapMyWalk.com or U.S.A. Track and Field's America's Running Routes database to search for walk, run, and bike paths near you—complete with user reviews and Google Maps distance calculators.

If you're looking for a workout buddy or you're ready to take things up a notch, sign up with Health's Girls Gotta Move Club: There you'll find walk-to-run transition plans and events being held around the country.

No matter what speed you walk or run, aim for a minimum of 10,000 steps a day (or five miles)—the amount recommended by experts to maintain good health and stave off disease.

Anna Kaiser is here to show you how to squeeze in a workout when you're on baby duty.

Two-time U.S. Olympian Desi Linden is coming off a runner-up finish at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February and preparing to put the U.S. on the medal stand at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Linden seeks revenge at the Summer Games after a stress fracture in her femoral shaft in London forced her to drop out of the marathon before the five-kilometer mark. She was second at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials and a series of injuries never allowed for her to find her full fitness before the Summer Games.

“I think I kind of struggled coming back from that marathon due to a lot little nagging things and we got to the point in the build-up where we needed to start pressing no matter what the body is telling you,” Linden says. “We got two or three weeks into the segment and when something is nagging just a tiny bit, it can snowball into something much larger. It came to head in late July.”

Linden never regained her full fitness until preparing for the 2014 Boston Marathon but now considers herself at 100% health with no signs of hurt. Linden took a three-week break after Los Angeles and is ready to regroup and put in the necessary work for Rio.

“We were cautious going into L.A. so we can regroup and I’ll feel good. I do feel good now,” Linden says. “I’m conscious of my body and taking care of my body but I don’t feel like I’m being overly cautious where I sacrifice training. I’m going to push as hard as I can and be smarter about it. It’s a delicate balance.”

Linden trained on an indoor treadmill where she ran for an hour at 89 degrees (33 C) and 75% humidity to simulate the conditions for the Olympics. The USOC provided the training session and gave her a pill in morning (3 hours before her run) that allowed them to test and monitoring her core temperature.

inden will stay in Rochester, Mich., to train for Rio as the average summer highs there are about two degrees warmer than Rio de Janeiro in the next few weeks, according to her coach Keith Hanson.

The women’s Olympic marathon will be held on Sunday, Aug. 14.

RELATED: How Sarah Brown ran at Olympic Trials, four months after giving birth

Part of her body that is critical to running strong (besides legs)

"You have to get the core strong. If you’re a runner and have some sort of problem, it could be weak hips. It’s the first thing a PT or chiropractor will tell you. I’m always working on my core. For me that’s planks and ab strength."

Workout essential to marathoning

"If I could just one thing, I would do long runs. You can do tempo runs within your tempo."

RELATED: Batman in training: Bershawn Jackson's 400 meter hurdles workout

Favorite exercise in the gym

"Planks. They’re just really valuable and an easy position to hold."

Favorite workout

"Long run."

What her off-season break looks like

"I love taking my two weeks off after a marathon segment but I also get in the pool. Not necessarily for aqua-jogging but being in the water and having that buoyancy is beneficial. It seems like a little but it goes a long way."

​On how much cross-training she does

"As little as possible. If I’m cross-training then it means I’m hurt. I do a little bit of yoga and maybe I should do a little more."

On how to build the base for a marathon

"It’s slowly building into it. It depends on whether you’re coming off a big break. It could start with one week at 70 miles, another at 85 or 90 and then just working into those 100-mile weeks. Two or three weeks of mileage and then sprinkle in lighter workouts."

On how long she holds peak mileage

"Two or three weeks. You just touch on it and then come down."

RELATED: Training to failure: Myth or method to muscle mass and strength gains?

Off-track activities

"I grew up playing soccer. I’m not sure if I’m coordinated enough now but I kick around the ball."

On how nutritional intake changes from the beginning of marathon training to race day

"In my downtime, my appetite drops. As I pick up my mileage, I’m hungry all the time. I try to put healthy things all the time so I’m snacking on healthy things but I’m not over-the-top."

On counting calories

"Not at all. My weight is crazy because if I’m on downtime, I’m 98.6 pounds. If it’s race day, I’m 96.8 at every marathon I’ve every marathon I’ve done. I’ve just dialed in my appetite."

Takeaways from the Kenyans' diets after training there

"A lot of Ugali (a cornmeal porridge). That’s a staple at every meal. They’ll sometimes have goat or chicken for protein. I haven’t come home to make a bunch of Ugali but my plate will look similar with a protein, a vegetable and some kind of rice or carb." (Editor’s note: Linden gives credit to her husband for the cooking in her home.)

Pre-race meal

"It’s very bland. I go with white rice and sweet potatoes with maybe a plain pasta or a basic marinara spaghetti. It’s really boring."

RELATED: Ultra-runner Scott Jurek's interval training tips for the everyday athlete

On staying hydrated during a race

"I use a PowerBar electrolyte for the first 20K, where I try to take in eight to 10 ounces every 5K. I switch over to a double latte PowerBar gel that I mix in with water for the rest of the race."

Post-race treat

"Pre-race is food for function. Post-race is food for fun. I like a massive burger and beers. Just keep them both coming."

On staying cool during a hot race

"Over your head soaking happens. Any time you can wet the skin that’s great because you get a cooling effect from the wind and helps bring the core temperature down. You just delay the slowing down as much as you can."