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You would probably be surprised at just how many people avoid exercise because they feel it might be too strenuous for them. Some may have medical conditions, minor injuries or be suffering from illness. Others may just feel that they are too unfit to get in shape. There are probably just as many who are a little self conscious about their body shape and avoid exercise because of that .

If you fall into any of those categories then it’s probably worth considering that you don’t need to embark upon an exercise regime appropriate to a professional athlete in order to get health benefits and to lose weight. For many people, getting fit conjures up images of numerous trips to the gym each week, all of which involve getting hot sweaty and out of breath. It does sound like a lot of time and effort is needed – which might be why a lot of people avoid it, thereby missing out on the available health benefits.

The fact of the matter is that you can just as easily choose a low impact, low intensity workout which will deliver you a whole host of health benefits, make you look and feel better and raise your energy levels. Should you wish to graduate to a higher intensity exercise form later then that’s great – but only if you want to.

Walking is, for many people, the perfect way to get regular exercise. It’s suitable for a broad age group, it requires no special equipment or training and it can be fitted into your daily routine when it suits you best . It would be easy to overlook it as an exercise mode – but the health benefits read like a press release for some new miracle drug.

Walking can help to bring down the risk of heart disease and stroke. It can help to bring your cholesterol level down. It increases the efficiency of the lungs. It helps to build both bone density and muscle tone. It has been proven to be effective against depression and anxiety. It can raise your energy level in general. It can lower the probability of contracting certain forms of cancer. Recent research suggests that walking as little as 8 miles a week can help to stave off Alzheimer’s disease. It can certainly help you to get in shape and lose a few pounds.

It’s a long and impressive list of benefits. Walking on a regular and consistent basis is what’s important. As a rule, health and fitness experts recommend walking 10,000 steps a day to get the full benefits of walking. For someone of average height that will be equivalent to a distance of between four and a half and five miles. It does sound like a long way – but you can achieve it more easily than you might imagine.

Remember that those 10,000 steps is a total daily value – including all the walking that you usually do as you go about your daily business. You certainly don’t need to hit this number immediately. You can build up gradually from your normal number of daily steps. Depending upon your job, your method of commuting and your lifestyle, you could have a step daily count as low as 2,000. Pedometers are relatively cheap and will help you to establish exactly what your step count is. If you know what your daily step count is, you may find it easier to keep your motivation up. If you find that it motivates you more, modern digital pedometers can usually display your results either in terms of total distance covered or the total number of calories used up.

There are plenty of different ways to walk more on a daily basis. If you commute by bus, get off one or two stops before your destination and finish your journey on foot. Take the stairs instead of using the elevator. Walk around when you talk on your mobile phone (a ten or fifteen minute call could give you 1,000 to 1,500 steps). Go for a walk at lunchtime. Don’t feel guilty if you do take the car – just park it further away from the entrance so that you need to walk just a little more. It all adds up quicker than you might imagine.

And there’s absolutely no need for walking to be tedious. You can make it a social event by walking with family and friends. Plan your walking route so that it takes in any local points of interest. Use an mp3 player so that you can listen to your favourite music when you’re walking. Both the time and the miles will pass quickly.

Get the most from recent developments in exercise shoe technology by wearing a pair of toning shoes while you walk. Skechers Shape Ups and Fit Flops sandals are just a couple of examples of this new style of exercise shoe which incorporates a scientifically designed sole which makes the muscles in your lower body work a little bit harder. However, when you’re just getting started, any pair of good, comfy shoes should be all that you need.

You should seek the advice of your doctor before staring any new exercise program – especially if you have any medical conditions or are over forty years of age. However, as previously stated, walking is a low impact method of exercising which carries a very low injury risk. Be sensible and start off slowly, building up only when you feel comfortable to do so. Little and often is a good rule to observe. Walk just a little further and a little more often on a regular and consistent basis and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you can both see and feel the benefits.