Follow Your Path to Fitness and Health

Walking turns out to be so good for your health — not to mention so relatively doable, at any age — that we decided to devote a series of articles to get you motivated to regularly pencil it in. To get us started, AARP Fitness Ambassador Denise Austin shares how she makes walking the cornerstone of her weekly fitness regimen. In this video, she provides tips on how to get started, brush up on your technique and, when you're ready, take things up a notch to boost your heart rate and add in a little toning.

As relatively easy and straightforward as walking is (no gym fee or swimsuit needed, for starters), there’s mounting evidence that you should get serious, very serious, about doing it regularly. Why? From reducing your risk of certain cancers to keeping off extra pounds to strengthening your memory, a daily habit of lacing up and heading out gives you almost unparalleled health bang for your buck.