Walking, fast or slow, is a wonderful exercise. Long walks help youclear your head, pace your thoughts and calm you down. It quickens your heartbeat, circulating more blood and oxygen to your muscles and your organs,including the brain. Experts suggest that brisk walking for 30 minutes at amoderate speed can help you burn 150 to 200 calories. Walk also benefits in thefollowing ways:Drop the Pressure : Walking helps lower your bloodpressure but let’s get a sense of how often and for how long you need to walkfor it to really be helpful. Research has proved that taking 10-minute walksevery day is an effective way to lower your blood pressure.Exercise can Boost your Memory: Exercise is good for the brainbut walking in specific is good for boosting your memory.Exercise is good for the brain but walking in specific is good forboosting your memory: Reduce your risk of heartdisease and stroke by walking regularly. A 30-minute brisk walk every day ishelpful in preventing and controlling the high blood pressure that causesstrokes and reducing the risk by up to 27 percent.Walking Lowers Disease Risk: A regular walking habit slashesthe risk of type 2 diabetes by around 60 percent, and you’re 20 percent lesslikely to develop cancer of the colon, breast or womb with an active hobby suchas walking.Walking helps you lose weight: You’ll burn around 75 caloriessimply by walking at 2mph for 30 minutes. Up your speed to 3mph and it’s 99calories, while 4mph is 150 calories (equivalent to three Jaffa cakes and a jamdoughnut!). Work that short walk into your daily routine and you’ll shed thepounds in no time.Walking prevents Dementia: Older people whowalk six miles or more per week are more likely to avoid brain shrinkage andpreserve memory as the years pass. Since dementia affects one in 14 people over65 and one in six over 80, we reckon that’s a pretty great idea.Walking tones up legs and bums: Give definition to calves,quads and hamstrings while lifting your gluts (bum muscles) with a good,regular walk. Add hill walking into the mix and it’s even more effective. Payattention to your posture and you’ll also tone your abs and waist.Walking boosts vitamin D: We all need to get outsidemore. Many people in the UK are vitamin D deficient, affecting important thingslike bone health and our immune systems. Walking is the perfect way to enjoythe outdoors while getting your vitamin D fix.Curb Stress Eating: Walking is one of the best waysto kick your stress eating habits to the curb. It doesn’t work in isolationthough. The ideal way to beat a stress eating disorder it to meditate, get goodsleep and walk around 10,000 steps a day. Experts believe that stress eating ismore often a symptom of an emotional or psychological problem. Walking releasesendorphin into your system and reverses the cholesterol levels in your body,helping you curb stress eating.