Home > Diet & Fitness > Exercise > Healthy strides GA_googleFillSlot("sitagitarectanletop"); These are just some of the benefits of walking, according to decades of research.

Lower your heart-disease risk: The latest study found that those who walked briskly three hours a week had a 30 to 40 percent lower rate of heart attack than sedentary women. Those who walked five hours a week cut the risk by 50 percent.

Build strong bones: The density of a woman's bones is directly related to how much weight-bearing exercise she does. Walking is one of the best weight-bearing exercises.

Reduce your risk of diabetes: In a recent study, walking was found to reduce the risk of type II diabetes by lowering blood-glucose levels.

Lose weight: A study found that the average person can lose eighteen pounds in a year - without changing her diet - if she walks about four times a week for forty five minutes.

Stay injury-free: A twenty-eight-week study found that runners missed eleven workout days due to injury, whereas walkers missed only one and a half days.

Life your mood: Numerous studies have associated exercise with a reduced risk of depression.