Make this your goal:  to walk 50 miles per month.  This great information from the AARP Bulletin gives these excellent reasons to promise yourself that you will walk 50 miles per month:

1.    Get fit:  Aerobic capacity: 19% increase; physical function: 25% increase, and risk of disability: 41% decrease.

2.    Save on annual medical bills.  Normal-weight retiree: $3,300, Overweight retiree: $2,500 and entire country: $1.4 trillion.

3.    Improve cardiovascular health.  Heart disease: 32% lower risk; Stroke: 33% lower risk, Type 2 Diabetes: 71% lower risk.

4.    Fight cancer. Breast: 18% lower risk; Colon: 31% lower risk; All forms: 33% higher survival rate.

5.    Lose weight.  Each walk: 150 calories; Monthly: 1.3 pounds; Annually: 15.6 pounds.

6.    Accelerate recovery.  Depression: 47% reduction of symptoms, Skin wounds: shorten healing by 10 days.

7.    Battle degenerative disease.  Alzheimer’s: 40% lower risk; Arthritis: 46% lower risk, Osteoporosis: 0% loss of bone density.

Listed are seven things you will have accomplished once you make this a routine part of your day.  Just half an hour of walking each day at a brisk pace of 3.5 mph will help you achieve these benefits, regardless of your age. Bone density is improved by any weight bearing exercise, and what could be better than walking?

Who can’t spare 30 minutes per day?  You could even do it on your lunch hour, before work, or after work.  If you aren’t already doing so, try it!  Walking is also a great way to relieve stress.  If you want to get really serious, get a pedometer.  An average of 10,000 steps per day will help you lose weight.  (Just don’t get into the candy after your walk!)