They pass you in Greenwood Mall, oblivious to the sales. Their steps are quick. Their goal is sure. Not one is carrying a shopping bag. Theyre mall walkers, that breed of exerciser who doesnt have to worry about soaring temperatures, rain, snow or sleet, or cars that are speeding on the street alongside them. I think more people should do it, said 68-year-old Kenneth Hansen, who has been walking in Greenwood Mall for a few years. James Oppitz, 80, also extols the benefits of mall walking. The climate is controlled and you dont have to fight traffic, he said. And it can help you get in shape. Both Hansen and Oppitz say walking helped them recover from illness. Oppitz had open-heart surgery five years ago. Hansen has had heart trouble, as well. Ive had a couple stents put in, and I had some complications, Hansen said. I guess I had as many complications as you can have. At one point, his right leg was so swollen he couldnt walk on it. Walking a few miles, four or five days a week, has helped him build strength in the leg and keep its circulation intact. Oppitz said walking three miles a day, seven days a week, as well as eating a low-fat diet, has helped him shed about 30 pounds. But the men arent alone in their love of mall walking. Young mothers with babies walk with strollers. Sometimes couples hit the mall together. Some people even bring their grandkids. Norma Kirby, 68, and her sister, Nema Mercer, brought their grandchildren to the mall early last week. The stores in the mall hadnt even opened it was just about 9:30 a.m. but the girls, still, were having a ball. I like it because it gets me in shape for track season, said Mercers granddaughter, Amanda Vickous, 12.Kirbys granddaughters, Ann Kirby, 13, and Kirby Gooding, 8, say they would like to mall walk more. Ann said shell do it to get exercise and feel better. Eight-year-old Kirby was doing it last week as a warm-up to swim practice at Indian Hills Country Club. Norma Kirby and her sister are glad the girls have shown interest. But they walk to improve their health as well. While the women have only been walking at the mall for a short time, they are already seeing improvements in themselves. My sister is a lot older than I am, said 68-year-old Norma Kirby, And she can out-walk me. Mercer, 80, said she and her sister are determined to make mall walking a habit. We have just made up our minds that we should do something about this weight, she said. Oppitz said going to the mall every day, except on holidays when the mall is closed, has made mall walking his habit. Its simply a part of my life, he said. After youre retired, you no longer go to the office. Its important for you to have some things to do, otherwise youll sit around the house all day feeling sorry for yourself. Oppitz, Hansen and nearly 400 other people are members of the Mall Walking Club at Greenwood Mall. The club is part of The Medical Centers Health and Wellness Center, which is in the Sears wing of the mall. Club members walk at all times of day. The mall opens to walkers at 7 a.m., seven days a week. Walkers must leave when the mall closes at 10 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, and at 7 p.m. on Sundays. While mall walkers dont have to join the walking club, there are many benefits to joining the group for a one-time fee of $10.There are incentive gifts for certain amounts of miles walked, said Linda Rush, a registered nurse and director for community wellness at The Medical Center. When you have walked 100 miles, youll get a free water bottle. For 250 miles, youll get a waist pack. For 400 miles youll get a tote bag. When you have logged 1,000 miles, youll get a free Healthy Heart Profile, which is valued at $39 and includes an exercise test, nutritional information and instructions, and a cholesterol screening at The Medical Center. Other benefits start before youve even walked. Upon joining the Mall Walking Club, youll get a Mall Walking Club T-shirt, an identification badge, an emergency medical card, a personal mileage card (to help you keep track of how far youve walked), a guide to safe and effective walking, a guide to buying good walking shoes, discounts to stores in the mall and unlimited weight and blood pressure checks at the Health and Wellness Center. Hansen said joining the club has been great. All I know is Im in better shape than before all this (illness) happened, he said. Walking definitely helps keep my blood pressure down. He knows because at least twice a week he goes into the Health and Wellness Center to have workers there check it and his weight. I think thats fantastic, he said. For more information about the Mall Walking Club, visit the Health and Wellness Center, or call 745-0942. For more information about the Community Walking Program, which helps participants keep track of miles walked outside, call 745-1010.