Walk yourself fit & FABULOUS!

Pick up the pace to get fitter, feel happier and lose weight this spring

- TANYA PEAREY

We all know that walking is great for our health - mental as well as physical - so it's good if we can do more of it. Around 6.3 million Brits aged 40-60 failed to manage even a brisk 10-minute walk once a month, according to research by Public Health England.

And it's not just how much you do that can boost your wellbeing doing it faster can bring extra benefits too. Recent research shows that brisk walking can reduce your risk of diabetes, and the speed you walk at can reveal your risk of certain health problems.

Walking above 4mph cuts your risk of cancer and heart disease, according to a study by the University of Leicester*. Scientists found that women with a brisk walking pace were 26% less likely to die of cancer, 60% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease and 71% less likely to die early from other causes, such as dementia or respiratory illness.