Walk your way slim

Walk your way slim

Walking is the perfect exercise it's a low-impact way to get fit, get healthy and even get slim. Find out what walking can do for your body and how to do it right

Walking is a health powerhouse. It strengthens your muscles and heart, lowers your blood pressure and helps build bones. It can even lengthen your life: According to research, walking vigorously for 30 minutes just six times a month may lower your risk of premature death by 50 percent.

It’s relatively easy on the joints and bones walking puts about half the stress that running does on your knees, ankles and shins. But you’ll have to give more effort than you would for a casual stroll. To get all the great benefits, including boosting your cardiovascular fitness, you need to power walk, moving at a pace that will bring your heart rate into the target zone.

To be clear, fitness walking is not as fast as race walking. Race walkers, who have an unusual gait that involves swaying the hips back and forth, can easily walk faster than some people jog.