Walking for exercise is a purposeful, brisk walk specifically designed for

the purpose of improving health. It is one of the best and cheapest forms of

exercise. If you want to improve your general health and keep fit, or if you

want to reduce your weight, walking is a good place to start.

Walking keeps you fit and helps you take off extra weight and keep it off. It's

cheap, it's simple and almost anybody can do it. Walking has a multitude of

health benefits for everyone. Walking helps reduce the risk of coronary heart

disease and stroke, lowers high blood pressure, helps reduce weight and body

fat, helps reduce risk of some cancers, gives you more energy, helps you sleep

better, helps you look better and helps those people who are recovering from a

period of ill-health.

Walking for exercise does not need to be strenuous to produce results. Even

walking for 30 minutes a day has been reported to produce measurable benefits,

even among those who are least active.

If you want to feel great, have more energy and improve your overall health,

take a walk. Walking is one of the best forms of exercise and you can do it

almost anywhere, anytime, and for free. Do at least 30 minutes of exercise, like

brisk walking, most days of the week. The idea is to use up more calories than

you eat. You need to use up the day's calories and some of the calories stored

in your body fat.

Along with its benefits to the heart, walking improves circulation, helps

breathing, combats depression, bolsters the immune system, helps prevent

osteoporosis, helps control weight and helps prevent and control diabetes. It's

a gentle exercise and it’s suitable if you are recovering from heart trouble, a

stroke or other illness. It helps the total circulation of blood throughout the

body, and thus has a direct effect on your overall feeling of health.

Remember, if you have a medical condition, are overweight, over 40 years of age

or haven't exercised regularly for a long time, check with your doctor before

you start any type of exercise program. Your doctor or other health worker can

help you set sensible goals based on a proper weight for your height, build and

age.