We know you hear us say, over and over again, that you have to walk every day, no excuses. That's because we're so convinced of its importance.

You see, walking (aiming for 10,000 steps daily) doesn't just strengthen your circulation, pump oxygen to your brain, improve your balance, and provide a chance to spend time with your posse, it has even more health benefits.

According to Harvard Medical School, walking for as little as 15 minutes helps reduce cravings for sugary snacks and chocolate. That happens because it increases circulation of feel-good endorphins and reduces stress.

It also can help ease arthritis-related joint pain by strengthening muscles that support your hip, knee, and ankle joints, as well as keeping them lubricated. Hoofing it for just 6 miles a week can help prevent arthritis from setting in.

Walking also turns on genes that produce the protein irisin, which helps you stay smart and strengthens your immune response. One study found that a 20-minute walk at least five days a week results in 43% fewer sick days compared to non-walkers.

And it can help defeat the power of weight-promoting genes. A Harvard study found that the effects of those obesity genes were reduced by half from walking briskly for an hour a day.

All that just for putting one foot in front of the other.

For more information on how to incorporate walking into your daily life, check out our audiobook "You on a Walk."