Whether you already walk and want to walk more or you are a newcomer to regular waling, these 15 great reasons to walk will motivate you to take a few more steps in 2015. Easy to do: Walking is one of the most accessible forms of exercise because you can walk from your front door and go anywhere, near or far. You can walk before work, on the way to school, at lunchtime, after tea and at weekends. There are very few excuses. Great for fitness: Brisk walking, the type that gets your heart-rate pumping, is a cardiovascular form of exercise. This means it will help you to lose wright or maintain a healthy weight. Keep the doctor away: Diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure can all be kept in check thanks to walking. Research reveals that walking three to nine miles per week will reduce the likelihood of requiring diabetes medicine by almost 25%. Meanwhile, one weekly walk of four to five miles is enough to reduce the need for cholesterol medication by a third, and blood pressure medication by 28%. Stay young: A study in America has shown that walking regularly maintains aerobic power as we age. People who walk outdoors three to four times a week maintain their aerobic power, losing only 12% during a 25-year period compared to non-exercisers who lost their aerobic power by 41%. Fewer colds: Walkers have been found to suffer half as many colds as people who slouch on the couch. Walking briskly for 45 minutes each day, five days a week, boosts immune system and increase the natural cold killer cells. Great skin: Yet another walking study has found that exercise improves the skin’s durability while also adding muscle beneath the skin to reduce wrinkles and bags. Note that it’s important to wear sun screen while spending time outdoors to reduce the negative affects of UV rays. [caption id="attachment_13272" align="alignleft" width="550"] Stunning Sunset[/caption]   Younger brain: Research shows that walking can boost the connectivity within brain circuits, keeping your mind younger as you age. To feel good: Researchers in Scotland have found that walking can play an important role in fighting depression. And another study in the journalMental Health and Physical Activity found that walking had a "large effect" on depression. For great chat: Walking is a great form of exercise if you enjoy a good old chin wag. There might be sections of a walk when you are too out of breath to talk but most walking speeds allow for a good old chat. To meet new people: Join a walking club or book a group walking holiday and meet like-minded people. For new goals: There are plenty of walking challenge events that can provide the perfect goal for 2015. The Caledonian Challenge is a great example. Or you could plan to walk a long-distance trail in stages of days or weekends or days. [caption id="attachment_13270" align="alignright" width="413"] Fiona Outdoors[/caption]   To see new places: Walking will take you to many places that you may never have thought to go and to view scenes and landscapes that are impossible to imagine beforehand. If you are looking for ideas and inspiration, why not browse Walking Holidays. Go higher: You can walk to many high summits. How about ticking off some of Scotland’s mighty Munros or Corbetts or walking the Wainwright tops? Perhaps you will go even higher and tackle some of Europe’s tallest mountains. To get away from it all: You can’t access the top of a mountain, reach moorland or travel to wilderness areas, such as Knoydart, by car. On foot it’s possible to reach to enjoy many remote locations and discover an amazing new landscape. For fresh air: There is little to beat the feeling of a walk, whether it’s in a local park, by the sea or in the hills, for blowing away the cobwebs and lifting your spirits. Tell us where you plan to walk in 2015.