Been a while since you went for your walk? You might not be so quick to skip it when you hear this:

Walking every day could slash your risk of an early death by 50 percent to 70 percent. Here's what we mean by that . . .

Fitness Breakdown
Walking is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to get -- and stay -- fit. And few things affect your longevity as much as your fitness level does. Case in point: In a recent study involving a group of veterans, mortality rates were anywhere from 50 percent to 70 percent lower in the ones who were
fittest -- regardless of whether they had underlying heart disease.

Walk Boosters
The fitter you are, the better. So here are some tips to help you get more out of your walks:

• Clock your baseline fitness levels for comparison. Use this online tool to do it.
• Be opportunistic. Seek out every chance to walk more. Like this one.
• Try it in reverse. Here's how it helps.
• Take a break at your midpoint. Here's why.
• Work on improving your speed. This is how it will help your health.

Find out all the health goals you can accomplish with a walking workout.