Is it possible to increase your activity level just by changing jobs? Well, it may not be practical, but some jobs actually can keep you in shape. However, any movement burns calories and improves health; perhaps that's why health advocates recommend that you just get out there and move. Even if that movement is small, it helps.

A recent study by the American Council on Exercise looked at several occupations and how many steps they require each day.

The average person takes 3,000 to 5,000 steps a day; the goal is to increase that number by about 20 percent per month and eventually achieve 10,000 steps per day.

Here are some of the occupations measured by the study. See which ones use more steps.

Police officers vs. lawyers: It's actually pretty close, but a police officer takes a few more steps per hour. Lawyers take 633 steps per hour, whereas police officers take 663.

Nurses vs. restaurant servers: Servers take about 1,772 steps an hour, whereas nurses take about 986. But restaurant workers are always around great food, so you need to take into account the "nibble" factor.

Custodians vs. construction workers: At 1,624 steps per hour, custodians take more steps than construction workers, who take about 1,206.

Mail carriers vs. factory workers: You probably guessed correctly that mail carriers walk a lot; in fact, the study found that they take about 1,906 steps per hour, which adds up to about 15,250 steps in an eight-hour day — 5,250 more than the recommended 10,000. Factory workers' steps vary depending on the factory and what they're doing, but on average, they take about 989 steps per hour.

BURNING CALORIES

Q. What if you already take 10,000 steps, and you're still overweight?

A. You can have an active job, and still be overweight. Your body requires a certain number of calories to provide energy for you to function. If you exceed your calorie "budget," the excess energy is stored as fat. So, even if someone meets certain average goals for steps, if he's eating more calories than he's burning, he will not lose weight unless he increases his activity beyond what he's already doing.

Q. How many calories does my job burn?

A. Steps burn calories, but exactly how many varies from person to person. The more you weigh, the more you burn. An average person (155 pounds) burns about 100 to 105 calories per 2,000 steps. To be more accurate, however, we would need to know the individual's walking speed and the incline at which he was walking. If you want to know the average rate at which your job burns calories, take a look at the following (based on a 155-pound person):

Masseur: 280 calories per hour

Childcare: 211 calories per hour

Housekeeping: 246 calories per hour

Administrative assistant: 106 calories per hour

Shoe repair: 170 calories per hour

Store clerk: 162 calories per hour

Tailor: 176 calories per hour

Physical education teacher: 282 calories per hour

Firefighter: 845 calories per hour

Electrician or plumber: 247 calories per hour

Police officer driving a squad car: 141 calories per hour

Police officer riding in a squad car: 91 calories per hour

INCREASING YOUR STEPS

If you're interested in burning more calories on the job, here are a few suggestions.

Casual is better: Wear casual clothing to work if possible to increase your likelihood of taking more steps. An ACE study showed an 8 percent increase in physical activity levels and an extra 25 total calories burned on casual clothing workdays versus those days when conventional office attire was worn.

Walk to work: However, if you need to take your car, parking farther away in the lot will increase your steps.

Measure everything: Using a pedometer is an effective way to motivate yourself to take more steps. Strap it on to your waist, and it will keep track of your steps. One of the better pedometers, the Digi-Walker SW-200, is available at www.new-lifestyles.com for about $17.

Climb it: Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Walking meetings: Instead of sitting, have your meetings while you walk. Or, if your colleagues don't want to do that, try walking to your out-of-office meetings.

Stand tall: Hold meetings without chairs. Your meetings will probably become more time-efficient, too.

Use your head: Obtain a phone headset and stand, or better yet pace, during calls.

Old-school: Walk to a co-worker's desk rather than use e-mail or the telephone.

Charles Stuart Platkin is a nutrition and public-health advocate, and author of "Breaking the FAT Pattern" (Plume, 2006). Sign up for the free Diet Detective newsletter at www.dietdetective.com.