The only form of exercise our bodies are designed for also produces a wide range of physical and mental health benefits. Imagine that – we are designed to do something that really benefits us! Think about it, wherever you go, you have to take at least a few steps to get there, even if it means going from the couch to the kitchen to get another beer from the fridge. Making a habit of speaking a few more steps each day can optimize your body so that it continues longer and in better shape.

Walking for exercise helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol, which reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. The benefits of walking are just as powerful in protecting the body against heart attacks as other more strenuous forms of exercise. This protection extends to boosting your immune system, which helps protect your body from attack by a variety of diseases and inflammation, including arthritis. This boost to your immune system can also make you look and feel younger, in just a few weeks.

Walking also burns calories, making it a great way to lose unwanted pounds. This helps you put on your old clothes, feel better, and lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. Walking increases your energy levels throughout the day so you can get things done without thinking you need that afternoon snack. Walking reduces cravings, which helps you resist snacking and can help you avoid other bad habits, like smoking.

In addition to all the physical health benefits, walking is good for your brain and also good for your mental health. Walking stimulates neuron growth and synaptic activity in the frontal lobes of the brain. Yes, your brain really grows as you walk. This will improve your cognitive performance and can help reduce deterioration in aging people.

Walking relieves stress by balancing hormones and reducing cortisol levels created in reaction to the stress of the day, physical and emotional stress. This has immediate benefit in improving your mood, reducing anxiety, and can be a powerful tool in fighting depression. This mood-enhancing walking ability is further enhanced if you can walk in a park or alongside trees and lawns. Engaging your brain in nature stimulates more stress relief processes and you will feel instantly relaxed.

If you are not used to walking regularly, start by talking with frequent short walks. Build them into your routine, where you can take ten to fifteen minutes to think about something or reflect on the day as you move. Slowly increase your speed and distance as you get comfortable and make walking a regular daily activity. In fact, try to think of walking as your regular practice whenever you are faced with a particularly stressful time, or if you need to overcome a problem.

If someone wants to talk about something with you for fifteen or twenty minutes, suggest that they take you for a walk. Both will benefit from exercise and may even produce better solutions in their most relaxed state with neurons firing positively. Having a regular walking buddy also helps you maintain responsibility and commitment to your walking routine. Other than comfortable walking shoes and weather-appropriate clothing, walking doesn’t require special programs, gym memberships, or specially acquired skills. Walking is the natural way to improve your life. After all, you were designed for that.