Not everyone can be a runner. And while marathon champs and sprinters are well deserving of their praise, there are other ways to improve our health without pounding the pavements and trying to hit Personal Bests.
Doctors and health and fitness experts are shouting more about walking, which is now thought of as a top form of exercise.
My choice of cardio is cycling, but now that my training for the London to Brighton bike ride is over, I'd be lying if I said I hop on the saddle as often. But what I do every single day is walk.
It's the easiest and most effective way to ensure I get exercise every single day. There are no class fees, no searching for bike storage and no need to worry about my knees.
We spoke to doctors and health experts who gave their take on why and how walking is an underrated form of exercise, and why we should be embracing it more.
Why walking is good, in a nutshell
NHS Doctor, Dr Asimah Hanif, told HELLO! that walking is one of the "simplest and most powerful things you can do for your heart, and there are lots of reasons why."
In a nutshell, the benefits include:
- Makes your heart stronger and more efficient
- Lowers blood pressure and cholesterol
- Keeps blood sugar steady
- Reduces stress and helps with weight control
Why walking is the new running
In a bit more detail, Dr Asimah notes that walking has a significant effect on our overall health, which, in turn, ultimately prevents chronic illness and increases longevity.
"When you walk regularly, your heart muscle gets stronger, your blood pressure tends to come down, your circulation improves, and your cholesterol balance shifts in the right direction (raising the 'good' cholesterol, lowering the 'bad').
"It also helps keep blood sugar steady and lowers inflammation, both of which protect your arteries.
She adds: "Running is more intense and will build fitness more quickly, but walking gives you many of the same heart benefits with far less risk of injury. Large studies have shown that, if you burn the same amount of energy, walking lowers heart disease risk just as much as running.
"For most people, walking is easier to stick with long term, which makes it arguably the better choice for overall heart health."'
How much walking should we be doing?
So now that we know walking is endlessly good for our health, how much should we be walking? I aim to walk for at least 20 minutes every day of the week.
But if doing so every day is difficult, then experts say 30 minutes a day of brisk walking at least five days a week will do the trick.
Dr Asimah says that it doesn't need to be all in one go. "Even three 10-minute walks in a day make a real difference. Aim for a brisk pace (you should be a little breathless but still able to talk)."
How quickly will people see results?
Fortunately, we won't need to wait long to see results.
Dr Asimah says: "You'll notice a difference pretty fast. Within a few weeks, blood pressure and circulation can improve. Stick with it for a couple of months, and you may notice your resting heart rate dropping and your stamina improving.
"Long term, people who walk regularly cut their risk of heart attack and stroke by up to a third."
Jason Eastty, owner of Healthspan Longevity and Nutrition Specialist, told HELLO!: "The body begins to show heart health improvements during the first few weeks of walking through better resting heart rate and blood pressure readings.
"Regular walking throughout time decreases your chances of experiencing a heart attack and stroke and reduces your risk of premature death."