Have you started walking to lose weight yet? It’s just about the easiest exercise anyone can do. Plus walking has loads of benefits besides getting you out of the house.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we’ve all heard this over and over. Who wants to commit to walking daily? There’s weather out there – sun, heat, humidity, rain, snow and other stuff, like your neighbors. You might actually have to say hello to someone once in a while.

If you have a dog – walk him or her. They’ll love you for it. Plus, it gives you an excuse to walk (if you need one).

I know I’ve made far too many commitments to walking and then broken them. I’d start and walk every day for a few months, then something would happen and I’d quit. Then I’d wind up not doing anything – which is not conducive to weight loss, is it?

So, I made up my mind that I was going to do something physical every single day. Since I’m much more inclined to do something in the morning that’s when I tend to walk, or exercise while the Today Show is on.

Here’s the scoop on walking and why it’s good for you:

• It gets your heart rate up and improves your cardiovascular health.

• You start breathing faster and deeper which helps your lymphatic system drain and improves your immunity.

• You get a complete work out in 20 minutes because walking tends to work all the muscles of the body.

• You get some sun exposure, which helps your body produce Vitamin D and makes you happier.

• It helps to change your mood. If you’re angry, it calms you down. If you’re depressed, it helps to lighten your mood.

These are just a few of the reasons on why walking is good for you. In my opinion if you can’t do anything else – walk!

Most recently, I sprained my ankle and had to stop walking for several weeks. But I just started again and I’m up to a mile right now. I still have to wear the ankle brace. The daily walks make my dog very happy. And I plan on gradually increasing my speed and distance to get the most out of walking for exercise.