Did you know that a brisk walk can reduce your risk of high blood pressure, can lower your body fat and increase blood flow to the brain?

Are you lacing up your shoes yet?

I love to walk and yet when Winter rolls around here in WI I feel relegated to my treadmill in the basement because this Florida girl doesn’t like the cold, let alone the cold and wind or even worse, the cold and wind and snow! So as the weather starts to turn a corner towards Spring I am excited to get back to my daily walks outside and feel the warm sunshine on my face. It’s the perfect way to break up my day since I work from home, plus my dogs love me even more when I take them on walks. This is very important as a dog mom, to be loved the most by your dogs!

I talk a lot about how important it is to get your body moving and I want to share with you a few facts that will have you heading out for that walk as soon as you are finished reading this post.

• Walking one mile a day burns 100 calories. Hello, that is ten pounds a year just from walking.

• A recent Harvard study shows that walking at a moderate pace (3mph) for up to 3 hours a week — or 30 minutes a day — can cut the risk of heart disease in women by as much as 40%.

• Exercise can boost feel-good endorphins, release tension in muscles, help you sleep better and reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

If these medicinal facts aren’t good enough for you what about the fact that you could have time to yourself, listen to the book or podcast you love or even just walk in silence and take in the sounds around you.

However you decide to spend the time on your walk I just encourage you to go for the walk. Let your mind, body and soul reap all the benefits of this low impact, healthy activity.