Four common stumbling blocks that can break your stride — and how to get back on your feet forever.

We've been discussing exercise: how much do you need, should you do, can you fit into your day? Walking is what we humans are meant to do, and it's a free, easy form of exercise. JoAnn Manson, MD, chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston says most women can stick with a walking program for a lifetime.

We all know walking is great exercise. It helps the heart and lungs, it builds strong muscle and it's good for our bones!

It's also a good social activity. We can walk with friends, catch up with our lives and if you are like me, walking can lead in just the opposite direction. It can be a time to be alone, with no-one talking, no little fingers tugging at me and no-one asking me what's for dinner! I can smell the air, listen to the geese and feel the breeze. Just me and me.

I can also feel my waist line getter smaller and my legs becoming leaner. And who doesn't want that benefit?