Walking is not the lazy person's version of running - it is an excellent low-impact workout with head-to-toe health benefits.

Want to prevent these top 5 health concerns? Walking can help!

1. Tone your body

   Walk tall, power with your arms and be aware of how different muscle groups come into play - it's about 200 muscles that you use with each step taken. The brisker the walk, the more calories that will be burnt, and the more it will have a positive effect on cardiovascular processes.

2. Improve your cardiovascular health and help fight off heart disease

   Walking will stabilise your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. When blood pressure levels are down to a healthy level, this is an indication that your stress levels are down too.

3. Beat depression and boost your endorphins

   The simple act of getting out and physically moving forward has been shown to help dispel negative thoughts. Choose a location that doesn't trigger anxious feelings and focus outward as you walk. Observe the things around you and reawaken the senses. Walking is a great way to clear the mind whilst getting oxygen into your gills.

4. Strengthen your bones and help to avoid osteoporosis

   Walking can help ward off the dangerous osteoporosis, a disease of the bones causing them to become weak and break easily which happens when you lose too much bone or make too little bone - or both. Exercise particularly anything that uses your body's weight to move can help build strong bones. "Weight-bearing exercise can be aerobic such as brisk walking, tennis dancing or high impact such as jogging, skipping, netball, or basketball," says Professor Rebecca Mason, spokesperson for Osteoporosis Australia.

5. Control your weight

   Maintaining the correct weight is all about finding a balance between how much you eat and how much energy you burn. Walking regularly throughout the day is a sure-fire way to keep your blood pumping and your body working, and in combination with the right diet, you'll be able to stay at a weight you can be proud of.

Written by Cassandra Duell