Exercise is a great release for me. It’s a time for me to check out a bit from reality and do something that is exclusively for my benefit. I love fitness classes, new workout routines that my friends suggest, long runs, and swimming laps in the pool. But I’d forgotten how much I love to walk until my kids came home for the summer and all other workouts were put on the backburner.

I saw a news story this morning that reminded me how great the health benefits of walking are too. It reduces blood pressure and your risk of developing diabetes, but it also cuts your risk of heart attack and cancer. Experts say these benefits can be achieved in as little as 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

You can also save money, too. I have heard that you’ll save $330 a year on medical costs if you walk regularly because you’ll be healthier. It’s also totally free. There’s no membership or entrance fee. It’s also a great way for me to do something healthy with friends. We catch up over a long walk along the beach instead over a meal, which saves money and calories.

After a 30-minute walk around the harbor near our home I feel more relaxed and refreshed than I ever could have if I’d turned on the TV. Walking outdoors and breathing in fresh air has a way to lift your mood and rejuvenate your spirit. It reminds you that the world is a lot bigger than the four walls of your home. Gaining perspective is healthy for us emotionally and spiritually.

Walking is a great low-impact, weight bearing, cardio exercise. I’ve personally used walking to shed extra weight, and have several friends who have recently lost just as many pounds walking as other friends who are enrolled in classes or doing expensive workouts that can be ordered from TV.

It’s easy to dismiss walking as a serious method for losing weight and improving your health, but it’s always the simplest things that seem to work the best. If you’re looking for a way to improve your health, consider a strapping on your walking shoes and heading outdoors.

Here\’s the clip from Good Morning America if you want to see for yourself.