Walking your way to good health

There is so much more to walking than most people realize. While it's a great form of exercise, a method of transportation and a lot of fun, walking also provides our body with many health benefits. In addition to the many health benefits it provides for us, it also reduces our risk of getting many diseases. We hear constantly about some new herb or supplement on the market that will prevent many diseases, but unlike these aids, walking will not cause any side effects.

Weight management is a major reason why many people enjoy walking regularly. Physical fitness is uppermost on the minds of many people today. While they may have difficulty dieting, they find that walking is great for not even burning fat and calories but also for keeping them off. Keeping your weight at a healthy amount will decrease your chances of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, stroke, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and more.

High blood pressure is a concern for many individuals but not near a concern for individuals that walk regularly. Physical activity like walking makes the heart stronger so it pump more blood with a lot less effort or stress on the arteries. Many doctors will say that staying in good physical condition is every bit as effective as medication for maintaining good blood pressure levels.

Good cholesterol is something that many people strive for and often fail at achieving without a doctor's care or special diet. Walking will help reduce your low-density lipoproteins (aka bad cholesterol), which are a major cause of heart attacks because of the plaque buildup they cause on the walls of your arteries.

Lower your chance of heart attack and stroke by walking regularly. Brisk walking at least three hours each week can low your chances of heart disease by up to 40 percent. All you need to do is walk for a half hour each day. This same walking, increased to an hour a day will cut your chances of a stroke in half.

Gallstone surgery can possibly be eliminated with regular walking every day. If not eliminated, it can lessen your chances of requiring gallbladder surgery by up to 30 percent. Breast cancer and diabetes are two very serious diseases that be stopped by the use of regular exercise like walking.

These are a few of the many benefits of regular walking. There are far too many ways to mention how walking can help:

• Stronger bones, muscles and joints
• Prevents depression
• Prevents constipation, colon cancer, impotence and osteoporosis
• Lower stress levels
• Improves your sleep
• Relieves arthritis and arthritic pain
• Improves your entire disposition