Article: The easiest way to prevent heart disease: a simple walk can lower your blood pressure and reduce heart attack risk. Here's the best way to reap the benefits. (How to Get in Great Shape).

IF YOU WANT TO BE GOOD TO YOUR heart, lace up your walking shoes. Recent research published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that just 2 1/2 hours of brisk walking a week can cut your risk of heart attacks and strokes by nearly a third. The activity raises your HDL ("good") cholesterol level and reduces your blood pressure, two important factors in preventing or controlling heart disease. And if you walk more, the numbers get even better: Five hours a week cuts your heart disease risk in half.

Any aerobic exercise, if done regularly, benefits your heart. And like other forms of aerobic exercise, walking strengthens your heart muscle and dilates your ...

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