Walk your way to great health!

Simply putting one foot in front of the other betters your body and mind. And with these small tweaks, you can boost the benefits even more

- GABRIELLE LICHTERMAN

Brisk walks boost your memory

Pick up your pace while grabbing the mail or walking from your car to the store and you'll have better memory that day and the day after. A new study from the U.K.'s Oxford University found that walking quickly enough to get your heart pumping for at least 30 minutes a day (which you can break up into short jaunts) stimulates the release of brain chemicals that improve recall.

Reverse stress by pairing up

The next time you feel tension starting to climb, invite a pal to stroll with you or join a walking group like those at malls and organized by local AARP chapters. While exercise on its own dials down stress, research out of Stanford University shows that doing it alongside someone else reduces stress even more. Credit goes to the support and encouragement others give you, which has a calming effect. Can't get together in person? Try walking and talking on the phone instead. Research published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior found that simply hearing a friend or a loved one's voice increases your body's production of the mood-lifting hormone oxytocin.

OR HEAD TO A PARK