The NHS provides the following information about walking.

Don't worry about walking for a long time even a few minutes each day can make a difference to your health and quality of life.  "A brisk 10-minute daily walk has lots of health benefits and counts towards your recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise."

If you decide to do more walking, think about whether you can walk to work, walk your kids to school, walk to the shops or go visit friends nearby. Having a pet dog is also a great way to encourage you to walk more, you could even walk with a friends dog if you don't have your own!

You can start walking by breaking the time into smaller chunks i.e. Walk for 10 minutes 3 times per day or 15 minutes twice a day. Build this up to walking greater distances and picking up a faster pace. Usually all you need is a pair of comfortable shoes, that allow you to walk comfortably and provide suitable support to your feet.

Even a small increase in the amount of walking can bring significant benefits if you are currently inactive. Look for local walking groups, health walk groups or even try going with friends or your partner. For some, walking with other people provides motivation to not only start walking more, but to continue.

Health Walk groups are found all across Scotland with over 550 walks taking place each week. The walks are volunteer led, free, sociable and open to everyone no matter what your age, fitness level or ability. Some Health Walks are also adapted to provide extra support for individuals with dementia or cancer, enabling them to take part with confidence.

*Source www.nhs.uk, nhsinform.scot