There are so many physical activities that can improve our health. Walking is one of the most beneficial ways to exercise. It is for nearly everyone, every fitness level and every age.

This simple exercise is filled with health benefits such as improving heart health, enhancing mental well-being, and helping maintain body weight. Because of the simplicity of walking, exercisers tend to stick with it, making it a life-long healthy fitness choice.

Walking can improve your health in many ways. Some of those benefits are improved metabolism, stronger bones, reduced depression, anxiety and stress.

We’ve all heard that walking 10,000 steps per day is the goal. You may be wondering where that figure comes from. Research studies show it isn’t a magic number, but a good indicator of how much activity a person is achieving in a day.

An inactive person takes approximately 3,000 steps or less per day. Five miles of walking is approximately 10,000 steps. Unless you have a very active job, you probably won’t get that many steps in a day. In order to reach that goal of 10,000 steps, you would have to exercise for 30 to 60 minutes a day, which is the minimum daily recommendation by health authorities. All in all, it is a simple way to measure movement.

You can measure your steps in a variety of ways:

• Many smart phones now have the capability to measure your activity if you have your phone with you.
• Pedometers also measure steps and come with a variety of options that not only measure steps, but may also measure distance and calories burned.
• Fitness bands are the newest in technology to measure your steps. Most of them are wrist bands that sync to a phone app and have many features to help you in your fitness journey.

Keep in mind that you do not need to measure your steps to be successful. The most beneficial aspect of being able to measure your steps is that it gives you information. Being able to set a goal and have that goal measurable is when they become a valuable tool.

There are many ways to take your daily steps:

• Go for a walk, hike or a run.
• Attending an exercise class will boost your step count quickly. Try a dance class or any other cardio type class.
• You can even get steps taking a water class. If your step counter is not waterproof, you can count on an average of 2,500 steps are taken during a one-hour class.

Other ways to gain a few extra steps are to park away from your destination, take the stairs or take your dog for a walk. Without even knowing it, you are increasing your step count and reaping the benefits.

To increase your heart rate, boost your metabolism and burn more calories, try increasing the intensity of your efforts by walking on an incline or speed up your pace.

Another reason why walking is excellent exercise is that it is easy to do and stick with, because you don’t need a lot of special equipment. All you need is a positive attitude and a good pair of sneakers, and you are on your way. It all starts with a single step.

Are you ready to step in and step up?