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The next time you have a check-up, don’t be surprised if your doctor hands you a prescription to walk. Yes, this simple activity that you’ve been doing since you were about a year old is now being touted as “the closest thing we have to a wonder drug,” in the words of Dr. Thomas Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Of course, you probably know that any physical activity, including walking, is a boon to your overall health. But walking in particular comes with a host of benefits. Here’s a list of five that may surprise you.
To learn about additional benefits of walking, check out Walking for Health, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.
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Thinking about becoming a pescatarian? What you should know about the pescatarian diet
Let’s not call it cancer
Chair exercises for seniors: Boosting strength, flexibility, and stamina
Why all the buzz about inflammation — and just how bad is it?
Chronic kidney disease: What to know about this common, serious condition
Beyond the usual suspects for healthy resolutions
COVID tests: Do at-home tests work on newer variants?
A liquid biopsy for metastatic prostate cancer
One way to combat loneliness? Strengthen relationships you already have
Feel like you should be drinking less? Start here
Exercise & Fitness
Staying Healthy
Heart Health
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The simple activity of walking has so many powerful health benefits. Done correctly, it can be the key to losing weight, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and boosting your memory, as well as reducing your risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer and more. Walking for Health, created by the experts at Harvard Medical School, takes you step-by-step from why walking may be the most perfect exercise, to how to get started on a walking program, to specific walking workouts. It even has a special section on walking for weight loss.
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