Most of us do not consider walking as great exercise. But walking can be a highly effective and beneficial exercise indeed. The health benefits of walking are numerous. This simple, not-so-difficult exercise ensures improved health and better fitness. The best part of walking is that you need not be an athlete to reap its benefits. Moderate walking gives results as good as brisk walking does.

When you start walking start your walk with an initial stretching. This will prepare your body and make it flexible for the walk ahead. Start with a nice easy stretching, walk slowly then walk briskly. Be sure to slow down in between and stretch out for some time.

Appropriate shoes are important to walk without pain and risk of injury. Avoid shoes with heels. Flat shoes with enough arch support are the right choices.

Health Benefits of Walking

? Walking is good for improved cardiovascular health. Walking minimizes the risk of stroke and other heart diseases.

? Walking minimizes the risk of cancer. Walking helps to prevent colon cancer, breast cancer etc.

? Diabetes is another disease which walking alleviates. Walking helps a great deal to maintain blood sugar under control.

? Walking helps better balancing of bodily hormones and chemicals.

? Walking is a great stress buster. A nice long walk is all it takes to be relieved from stress and feel afresh.

? Walking is a simple practice. It does not require drastic change in your daily routine. Walking is one exercise that really blends well with our modern lifestyle.

? Accumulating ?Activity Expenditure? is a very important advantage of walking. If you walk for 4 sessions of each 15 minutes with considerable time interval in between, you get the same benefit as if you had walked for an hour in a single stretch.

? Walking is an exercise routine that does not require you to be a member of a health club. In addition to improving your health easily it saves you money and effort as well.

? Walking increase your muscle strength considerably. It makes you more flexible and agile.

? Walking removes lower back pain. Sitting continuously before your computer monitor or at work desk for hours together certainly invites lower back pain. Walking helps a great deal in eradicating it and preventing it from coming back again.

? Walking improves the blood circulation of your system. Better blood circulation is necessary for the proper functioning of your physiological system. It guarantees wellness of your body parts.

? Walking boosts your immune system and reduces the chance of you getting infected.

? Walking reduces the risk of hypertension.

? Walking, while decreasing the bad fat, increases good cholesterols in the system.

? Needless to say walking helps to lose weight and improves your fitness.

Walk and Live Long

Yes, walking adds more years to your life. Just half an hour of walking a day, 1.3 years get added to your life. It is not a long-term benefit of walking. In fact just 50 days of regular walking you would have added a healthy year to your life. Walking just two miles a day minimize the risk of death by half.

People having high blood pressure, heart diseases and pregnant women should consult their physician before getting into a walking program. Even people over 65 years need experts? advice before starting a walking routine.

Walking is more effective when it is practiced regularly. To make walking a regular habit one may face a physiological barrier. Motivation is all it takes to overcome such hurdle and incorporate walking in your lifestyle.