A great way for women to improve their fitness is to don their gym clothing and start walking regularly, Ramblers has claimed.

Maria Castellina, spokeswoman for the walking charity, said that walking is particularly good for older people as it can help to reduce the risk of osteoarthritis.

She said that it also increases strength and balance, helping to reduce the number of bone fractures that the elderly suffer as a result of falls.

"It places very low strain on the body compared to other forms of exercise, making it suitable for almost anyone to start," Ms Castellina added.

Her comments follow the publication of research conducted by Wake Forest University scientists, which found that the mobility of obese older people with heart problems can be improved by as much as 20 per cent through a combination of walking and weight loss.

The results from the five-year study appeared online on January 24th in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Posted by Martin Sebborn ADNFCR-2569-ID-800368084-ADNFCR

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