If there s one thing our bodies were meant to do, it s walk. When it comes to fitness, walking offers an easy, safe and inexpensive way to get in shape. It conditions the heart, improves muscle tone and strength, relieves stress, and can help with a variety of health problems, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, and arthritis. What s more, there is little risk of injury from walking, most people can do it, and it do it practically anywhere.
Advantages Walking is the only exercise that continues to be popular with people as they grow older.
Studies show that, when done briskly on a regular schedule, it can improve the body's ability to consume oxygen during exertion, lower the resting heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and increase the efficiency of the heart and lungs. According to the President s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, walking burns approximately the same amount of calories per mile as does running. Not only is walking aerobic, but it also burns calories and fat. Regular, brisk walks exercise the whole body. In fact, over the course of a year four 45-minute walks per week can contribute to up to 18 pounds of weight loss perhaps even more if you combine your walking routine with changes in your diet.