Walking is a great way to take exercise and get in shape. It has so many health benefits that it sounds more like an advert for some wonder drug or trendy health supplement. Walking can:

• Reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Increase lung capacity.
• Build muscle density.
• Help to lower your blood pressure.
• Lower your cholesterol level.
• Help you to sleep better at night.
• Combat anxiety and depression.
• Reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.
• Give you more energy so that you are less fatigued throughout the day.
• Help you to lose weight and get in shape.

As a matter of fact, the above list is only a partial account of the benefits of walking. There simply isn’t enough room here to list them all.

Most health professionals seem to agree that we should be looking to walk for a total of 10,000 steps daily in order to achieve the above benefits. That’s roughly equivalent to four and a half to five miles for most people – and it’s easier to achieve than you might think. If you aren’t sure how many steps you currently take each day then get yourself an Omron pedometer and you’ll be able to know your step count to an accuracy of 5%.

You can also display your results in terms of distance covered or calories burned if that is more interesting for you.