We are all admonished to exercise, but are not often told what kind of exercise is best and perhaps more importantly, how much exercise is enough? Can you get too much exercise? Are their risks to exercise? This post will provide some answers to those questions.

There are clear health benefits to regular exercise. It reduces your chance of getting heart disease, diabetes and depression. Furthermore it reduces your stress level, gives you a sense of well being and improves your sleep.

You do not have to be a long distance runner, biker or cross country skier to get these benefits, although these are certainly great forms of exercise for those so inclined. It turns out though that walking gives you much the same health benefits as these more intensive kinds of exercise and with much less risk of being injured.

Walking outside is most pleasant, but for times when that is impossible, you can walk indoors in a local mall or on a treadmill at home or in a gym.

Almost anyone with any health condition can walk as long as they start with short distances and build up gradually. Some conditions such as arthritis can make walking difficult. Even many people with arthritis are often able to walk in shallow water in a swimming pool if they have access to one.

How much walking is enough?

You should set a goal of 10,000 steps per day. The easiest way to keep track of your steps is to wear a pedometer, which you can buy for about $10 at any pharmacy. If you want to be a little more sophisticated, you can purchase one of the new exercise monitoring devices like FitBit. There also apps for smart phones like Moves that constantly monitor your exercise.

Remember that every step counts. Your step count will increase if you take one flight of stairs rather than the elevator, or if you park in the most distant parking spot when you go to the grocery store.

Even if you exercise regularly, it turns out that sitting for long periods increases your risk of heart disease. If you have a sedentary job, you should get up as frequently as possible to move around for a few minutes. If you can arrange your work space so that you can stand at least some of the time while you work, so much the better.

Is there such a thing as too much exercise?  If you are frequently getting injured, then maybe you should back off or change to a different form of exercise.  Cycling or swimming, for example, may be easier on your joints than running.  If your are exercising so much that you are constantly exhausted, then you are probably exercising too much.  Exercise is supposed to make you feel better!

What are the risks of exercise? Almost all the risks are associated with vigorous exercise, not with walking. Injuries are most common, but there is also a very small risk of sudden death from unrecognized heart disease. If you are over 40 and decide to undertake a vigorous exercise program such as running or cycling for the first time, you should check with your doctor before you start. This is not necessary for a walking program.

So get out and start walking. You will probably live longer, and you will certainly feel better!