To live a long and healthy life, stop smoking and start walking

Yesterday's Evening News carried an interesting article on the health benefits of taking a decent walk, stating “Meaningful benefits start at just 2517 steps per day [how is that for being precise?] or a 30-minute stroll around the block.”

- Steve Cardownie

Of course, this confirmed what we already knew - that daily exercise is the key to a healthier and longer life.

As someone who comes from a family where the menfolk have all succumbed to heart attacks, this is an issue I take seriously.

Heart disease claimed the life of my father, who was a lifelong smoker, which did not help.

Having survived the war in the Royal Navy, where smoking was commonplace, he eventually passed away in his mid-fifties after suffering yet another heart attack.

So, given all the evidence of the harm that smoking causes, is the habit still on the decrease?