Monday, January 11, 2010

A walk a day keeps the doctor away

Jerry Morris started exercising for a few minutes each day and lived until his 100th year.

A half-hour purposeful walk five times a week will reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and strokes. Older people sometimes feel they have left it too late. But it is never too late to st...art and there are no upper age limits. Start gently. Take your time: a 15-minute flat walk in the nearest park, four or five times a week. Within a month or so you will, literally, be taking it in your stride. You are already beginning to protect your heart. Build the walks up. When you can comfortably walk for half an hour in the park, go further afield. Water doesn't flow up hills. Try following rivers and canal tow paths.