Walk for Health: Facts, Benefits & Perfect US Locations for Activity

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Walking is one of the best ways to either lose or maintain weight; however, it appears that many people are starting to lose their appreciation for this exercise. 

Recently, a group named America Walks ranked the top ten U.S. cities that are very "walkable," according to Good Housekeeping.

New Urbanism principles were used to give the cities their Walk Score rankings.

New York City was ranked the number one most walkable city, with a relatively high score of 85 out of 100. Close behind the Big Apple, is San Francisco, California, which was just behind the score of 85 by .1 point, reports CBS News.

The third and fourth spots went to Boston, Massachusetts and Chicago, respectively. Boston scored 79, while Chicago scored 74.

Meanwhile, closing the top 5 walkable cities is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which was given a Walk Score of 74.

The other 5 walkable cities, which were given rank scores below 74, were Seattle,Washington; Washington, D.C.; Miami, Florida; Minneapolis, Minnesota and Oakland, California.

Better Health stated that walking is actually one of the best forms of exercise, especially since it does not require vigorous physical activity for long periods of time.

In fact, a 2007 study actually found that even though walking is a low level form of exercise, simply doing it for about 75 minutes a week can significantly improve fitness levels in the body.

Better Health advises walking 30 minutes a day to improve overall health. Walking can be improve cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce, excess body fat and boost muscle power and endurance.

In addition, walking everyday can also reduce the risk of certain health conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers.

The best part about walking is that it does not require equipment and can be done anywhere. It is perfect for the elderly and people who are either overweight or have not exercised for a long time. Better Health even suggests walking with a partner for added fun.

Real Simple offers some helpful tips about walking for better results. According to the site, always try to walk outdoors. Since the ground outside is not always leveled, walking outdoors can increase resistance in the exercise.

If walking outdoors is not an option, Real Simple suggests getting creative indoors. For example, instead of simply walking, why not try walking up and down the stairs at home.

Lastly, another useful tip is to walk with a pedometer. In so doing, one can keep track of the steps he has taken throughout the day.