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After Christmas dinner, a healthy walk completes the day, and it's fun

Christmas morning is exciting and traditionally it goes like this: First the presents: the kids will let nothing stand in the way of their march to the Christmas tree. After everyone has a light breakfast, comes the second-most exciting event of the day ... Christmas dinner.

 For some families, taking a walk half an hour to an hour after dinner is traditional. The walk is healthy fun for adults, kids and the family dog.

 It can be a leisurely walk or a brisk walk, whatever your group enjoys. An old saying is, "Walk a hundred steps after dinner and you'll live to be 99." Actually, to increase longevity, studies say you need to walk a little more than that, but not a whole lot more.

 Walking for 10 minutes on Christmas and other days, can change your body weight, lower your cholesterol and decrease your risk of stroke and other serious diseases. People who benefit most from 10-minute walks are those who normally don't exercise at all.

 For them, the 10-minute idea generates something of a can-do attitude. While prevailing advice calls for a 30-minute walk on most days, if you're a non-exerciser, that can be intimidating. 

The nice thing about a 10-minute walk is that as you learn to enjoy it, the time could morph into 12 or 15 minutes or more. Every minute increases the benefits.

 If you reach the recommended 30-minute level, you will also enjoy lower blood pressure and increased cognitive function. Your brain will work better, just as the rest of your body will.

 Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say walking is almost the perfect physical activity.

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