It's never too late to take steps to prevent a heart attack — even if you've already had one. Moderate exercise, such as walking 30 minutes a day, can reduce your risks of dying of heart disease, even if you can't seem to lose weight or reduce your high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

Walking is so much more than a means of getting from Point A to Point B. It’s a simple physical activity that can boost your heart health and help you live longer. Research has even shown that walking for as little as 30 minutes a day can have these added benefits such as reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, improving blood pressure and blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of osteoporosis, reducing the risk of breast and colon cancer and reducing the risk on non-insulin dependent (Type 2) diabetes.

Women - would you take a walk every day if you knew it could potentially save you from a heart attack? The New England Journal of Medicine has previously reported that walking provides health benefits similar to that of vigorous exercise and reduces the incidence of heart attacks in women. Women who walk just three hours a week may reduce their risk of heart attack by thirty to forty percent. Women who walk more than five hours weekly may reduce their heart attack risk by fifty percent. The general recommendation from the NHLBI is to get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most, and preferably all, days of the week. And you don't need to run a marathon or buy an expensive gym club membership to do it. The 30 minutes also don't have to be done all at once, but can be broken up into 10-minute intervals throughout your day.

“Exercising is like taking the pennies from under the couch cushions and putting them into your piggybank. Every little bit counts." Says Jeannie Frisco, Activate Program Director. Brisk walking can get your heart rate up and give you a solid workout. Walking at a comfortable pace can work well, too. The best exercise is the one you feel good about and can do over and over again. For example, Frisco suggests parking farther away when you go to the grocery store or to your office to create a longer walk, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking all the way around a mall the next time you go shopping, and walking around your neighborhood. Getting support from a walking buddy or a walking group can be a good way to keep you motivated.

 Activate offers a FREE low-impact walk at the Martinsville YMCA on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Participants can come between noon and 1:00 p.m. Walkers set their own pace and their own distance.  For more information or to register for this free, fun walking program, contact Activate at 276-403-5087.

So, take the first step - walk today and prevent a heart attack tomorrow!