Medical experts say walking is an easy way to improve physical and mental health, and prevent disease. While it's not the only exercise people should do, it's a great first step toward a healthy life. On top of that, you don't need any equipment to walk and you don't need to join a gym! What can walking do for you? Walking can help meet the US Surgeon General's recommendation that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every week. This helps lower the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, dementia, depression and many types of cancer. Walking also improves blood sugar levels, is good for bone health and can help you lose weight and sleep better, added Julie Schmied, a nurse with Norton Healthcare. However, walking doesn't provide resistance training that builds muscle strength and endurance. Experts recommend adding resistance training at least twice weekly – using weights or your own body as resistance — and doing stretches or yoga to improve flexibility. Do you really need 10,000 steps a day? It's a well-known walking goal, but experts stress that 10,000 steps is just a guideline. The average American walks about 3,000 to 4,000 steps a day and it's fine to gradually work up to 10,000, Schmied said. Schmied suggests breaking the recommended 150 minutes per week into 30 minutes a day, or 10 minutes three times a day, for five days. How do you stay motivated? Walking with friends — including dogs — is one way. Walking clubs have also popped up across the US. Norton Healthcare runs a free Get Healthy Walking Club at the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky. Every day from March 1 through October 31, people walk around the zoo before it officially opens. Tony Weiter meets two of his siblings every Friday. On a recent morning, they caught up on each other's lives as they walked past zebras in a fenced field. "I enjoy the serenity of it. It's cold but the sun is shining. You get to see the animals," said Weiter, 63. "It's a great way to start the morning."