Why Not Walk There?

 

When people think of exercise they often think of going to a gym or having some sort of expensive exercise equipment at home that ends up being a clothes hanger. Even walking can conjure up images of special footwear and exercise clothes and forcing yourself out the door on a cold, blustery day. Certainly that is one possibility. But it need not be that way to do you a whole lotta good.

Even just walking for 15 minutes a day can provide you with a surprising list of health benefits. And according to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, as little as 5 hours of walking a week can significantly reduce your risk for breast, kidney and stomach cancers. Any amount of walking (or other exercise for that matter) helps prevent weight gain and reduce cellular inflammation (the culprit behind many chronic health conditions).

But wait! There's more!

Walking is cumulative. You don't have to do it all at once to gain some benefit. Park the car at the edge of the lot and walk to the store. Take the dog out. Take a 5 minute stroll on your lunch break. There are all sorts of ways to build more walking into your day and they all count. What's your excuse for not walking there?