Walk your way to a youthful body

Most people tend to gain weight as they get older. The good news is that it is not inevitable

There are several reasons that weight-gain occurs over the years, and in Grow Youthful I discuss how many people get into a downward spiral that gets more and more difficult to climb out of

Here's one of the most important things you can do to keep or reclaim a youthful body - walk 2 to 4 hours a week (that's as little as 30�40 minutes every other day). In a 15-year study (1) researchers found that people who walked regularly gained less weight during the study period than those who didn't walk

The results were great for both men and women, although weight benefit was strongest for overweight women. The heaviest women in the study benefited by about half a kilo (1 pound) per year for every additional 30-minute walk taken each week

I thoroughly recommend walking as one of the best exercises you can do. Walking also has strong links with lifting depression, improving heart and artery disease, preventing type II diabetes, preventing back pain, and in preventing or helping with numerous other degenerative diseases. It is one of the keys to good health and a long life

(1) Gordon-Larsen, P. et al. Fifteen-year longitudinal trends in walking patterns and their impact on weight change. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2009 Jan;89(1):19-26