Walking is good for your heart on a number of fronts: it improves the heart's efficiency, reduces blood pressure, and can also help you lose weight.

Walking burns about the same number of calories per mile as does running. Brisk walking 1 mile in 15 minutes is about the same as jogging 1 mile in 8 1/2 minutes. Heavier individuals will burn more calories than lighter people: studies show that a 110-pound person burns about half as many calories as a 216-pound person walking at the same pace for the same distance.

Although increasing walking speed doesn't burn significantly more calories per mile, more vigorous walking will provide more dramatic conditioning effects.

Some weight-loss and conditioning studies have concluded that walking is more effective than running and other activities - a finding that is related to the facts that it is virtually injury-free and has the lowest dropout rate of any form of exercise.

Related information Lifestyle Changes: Exercise | Activity