Q: I am 29 years old with a four-year-old child. I am doing 1500 steps daily as an exercise to reduce my weight, but my neighbour warned me that doing steps as an exercise is the worst option available as it causes lack of grease in the joints. Is it true? My grandmother had a joints problem.

A:Anything in excess should be avoided; you should try and maintain balance in all that you do. Your neighbour must be concerned that you may be overdoing it. You say your grandmother had a joint problem, which might leave you predisposed to the same, but there is no guarantee that it will happen. So, to offset the chance of any possible injury (if at all), and also to add a bit of variety, you could try different activities that are as easy to get to, stick to and work differently in the body. For example, for the same cardiovascular benefits, you could perhaps interject your stair climbing with a walk on a flat, soft ground so that you give your knees a rest and at the same time, still get the benefits of a workout.