It has so many health benefits, it reduces the risk of heart attack, of hip fracture and glaucoma. It improves your body’s ability to process sugar and keeps your blood levels on an even keel. You don’t need a prescription, and better still, it’s free.

Walking is simple, natural, and doesn’t cost a cent. If you haven’t been active for a while, it’s a gentle low-impact exercise to ease you into a higher level of fitness and health.

I’m a walker. The time came when I had to seriously take up some form of exercise to counter balance my spreading middle, an exercise that didn’t require me to part with large amounts of money for equipment, gym fees or special clothing. I invested in a medium priced pair of walking shoes and took my first walk – out my front gate, up to the corner and back. My first daily fitness walk lasted a good five minutes.

Walking benefits my heart so it can pump more blood around with less effort, it lowers my blood pressure and reduces my risk of developing type 2 diabetes by improving glucose tolerance. Walking burns calories helping me manage my weight and keeps my bones strong. As if this isn’t enough, walking, like any other regular physical activity, reduces the feelings of depression and anxiety. I’m staying strong and active too. I want to maintain my independence into my nineties. And so should you.

Set a plan for yourself, make a definite time to walk. Start slowly and walk only as far as you can in comfort, walk in short sessions of three to five minutes and slowly build up to 15 minutes twice a week. Gradually over several weeks you can work your way up to 30 minutes of walking four days a week.

If you can only walk for a couple of minutes and then you need to rest, then stop and rest. Don’t overdo it, especially on your first walk. Always start out walking slowly, you have to let your muscles warm up – and this includes your heart. Why not massage some fragrant oil into your legs? Gently roll your shoulders forward and back before you begin to really stride out and always slow down for the last couple of minutes.

Do you walk?

If you look at the 35 symptons of menopause you notice these signs

• Trouble sleeping through the night (with or without night sweats)
• Crashing fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating, disorientation, mental confusion

which can indeed be symptoms of menopause, but also can be signs that you just don’t have enough energy to get through each day.

Let’s be serious here, a slowing down of your energy and vitality is a sign of aging – but you can stave off the fatigue of approaching old age by consciously striving to maintain and expand your energy.

At our stage of life, we can’t take anything for granted, we have to work to keep ourselves on the ball. Just as we have to work on our memory, keeping it sharp by constant mental exercise, we have to be aware of what we are eating, and try to maintain a proper diet so we have enough energy to go about our daily business. We need more energy than we did before, but it takes a while longer to build up.

How to boost your energy : First and foremost you need a good diet, exercise and plenty of sleep. If you drag yourself out of bed in the morning unable to wake up properly, then a look at your eating habits may be in order.

Kick start your day with energy giving foods, there are plenty to choose from on your supermarket shelf – all sorts of muesli, bran, wheat, rice, soya and nut mixtures. Actively seek fruit to eat, and buy what is seasonal and as fresh as possible.

We all know that we have to pay special attention to our diet now. We can no longer get away with the rushed snacks and the instant fix-it junk food.

Drink plenty of water. Cool, clear water helps you through physical or emotional activity. If you get a craving for an instant energy boost in the form of sugar, have water and fruit juice instead. Sip it slowly. Imagine the clear water filtering through you, cleansing, refreshing and revitalising, sending energy through with each sip. Savour it.

Don’t use coffee or tea to give yourself a fleeting burst of artificial energy, kick start your day with energy giving food.

Note : Are you a little anaemic? If you have been experiencing prolonged or heavy bleeding, a lack of iron could be the problem. Please consult your health care provider if you suspect you may have anaemia.

Exercise Is lack of exercise increasing your feelings of fatigue? If you haven’t exercised in some time, start with walking It’s easy and it’s free.

Getting the right amount of exercise can rev up your energy levels and even help you to feel better emotionally. Exercise benefits every part of you, it makes your body produce endorphins, the chemicals that lead you to feel better when you’re unhappy. Exercising makes you look better too.

You need restful sleep to recharge your batteries. Everybody is tired once in a while, but when it’s a constant feeling, day after day, a common reason is, of course, lack of sleep.

Remember: Fatigue that is not relieved by enough sleep, good nutrition, and a low-stress environment should be evaluated by your health care provider. Because fatigue is a common complaint, sometimes depression, grief or a potentially serious cause may be overlooked.