Walk and stay away from 25 different diseases

A review of 40 studies over past four years shows that walking for 30 minutes a day can cut your risk of about 25 different diseases. The more you walk, the greater the benefits you can:

·       SHED WEIGHT

A person weighing 60 kg could burn 150 calories with half an hour of brisk walking.

·       HALT BOWEL CANCER

A new study in the British Journal of Cancer shows that those who exercise regularly are up to a third less likely to develop polyps, which can become malignant.

·       SLASH YOUR RISK OF HEART DISEASE

About 37% of heart disease deaths are linked to inactivity. Walking decreases the risk.

·       IMPROVE YOUR LOVE LIFE

As men get older, their risk of erectile dysfunction gets higher. Being physically active can halve the risk of impotence.

·       STRENGTHEN BONES

Walking helps guard against osteoporosis. All it takes is 180 minutes a week to maintain bone density.

·       KEEP YOUR MARBLES

Just 1.6km a day might halve your chance of developing dementia. Amazingly, a US study found that walking increased grey matter in the elderly.