Related Media: Ten Thousand Steps

Walking is easy, inexpensive, amazingly good for you, and has few undesirable side effects. Yet it is all too often overlooked when people consider which form of exercise is best for them.

The results surprised even JoAnn Manson, MD, MPH, DrPH, despite her extensive knowledge about the subject. "No, I didn't realize just how effective walking was," says Dr. Manson, the co-director of women's health at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "We always knew that walking was effective, but after looking at the results, I am surprised that walking is not readily adopted by more people."

The results came from a study presented by Dr. Manson and her colleagues at a meeting of the American Heart Association (AHA). The study, part of an 8-year research project of 84,000 female nurses ages 40-65, reported that women who walked for at least 3 hours a week had a 30%-40% lower risk of heart attack and stroke than women who did not walk. The study also suggested that the brisker the walk, the greater the health benefit.

"The benefits of walking are just not well appreciated," says Dr. Manson. "There is still a misperception among the public that in order to achieve any health benefit, you have to exercise vigorously or be a marathon runner. And that is just not true."

Walking Offers a Variety of Benefits With Few Risks

There are numerous benefits to walking. Here are a few of them:

• Walking is inexpensive, requiring little equipment other than a pair of sturdy shoes. There are no fees to pay, no courses to drive to, and it is easy to do.
• It is one of the safest forms of exercise. Walkers stand little chance of developing shin splints, tennis elbow, or torn muscles, cartilage, or ligaments.
• Walking is one of the most efficient, low-impact workouts available.
• Walking offers the same long-term benefits of any exercise, like lowering blood pressure, improving cholesterol levels, lowering the risk of osteoporosis, and possibly lowering the risk of certain types of cancers.
• Walking may also reduce the discomfort of the commonest forms of arthritis. In addition it can help with weight loss, one of the most commonly recommended interventions for osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease that commonly affects the knees and hips.

Getting Started

Although walking is safe and dependable, do not start any sort of exercise regimen without first consulting your doctor. If you have received a clean bill of health, keep these points in mind.

What You Can Expect

Walking strengthens the large leg muscles, including the quadriceps and the gluteus muscles. However, it will not give you a body-building physique. If you want that, you will have to do weight training. Walking alone is not a terrific way to lose weight—you have to combine regular exercise with a reduced-calorie diet. Do expect walking to make you feel better, both physically and mentally.

Dr. Manson hopes that more people will realize what walking has to offer. So, get up, lace up your sneakers, and hit the road or trail!