Nancy Lugo: Take a walk

October, Central Florida, Walking — a great trio! Sparkling October and November weather calls you to get out and walk. The temperatures start in 60s in the early morning, rising into the 80s by day, cooling off with a gentle breeze for your evening walk. Enjoy the magical world of walking under this week’s full moon.

Walking is uncomplicated, with no membership fees, no special equipment, no special hours. Just you, your feet (with good shoes) and a few minutes or hours under the Central Florida skies is all you need.

You can walk on canopied streets or by the cafes of Park Avenue. Let your feet take you through one of our linear parks, like the Cady Way, Cross Seminole, Seminole Wekiva and Orlando Urban trails. Check them out at traillink.com. Smaller trails at Casselberry’s Wirz Park, Winter Park’s Mead Garden, and Maitland Community Park offer more reasons to walk in this great weather. The city of Winter Park website also features local walking trail maps.

Just how good is walking for you? Walking helps not just the body, but the mind and spirit too. And it can boost your social life.

Great for the body

People who walk several times a week lower their risks of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. Exercise is also linked to lower cancer risks. Walkers are less likely to get dementia.

Walking burns calories. A 155-pound person walking moderately fast (3 mph) expends about 232 calories in an hour. Exercise can also curb your appetite.

Walking builds your heart muscle and boosts endurance. Walking keeps bones strong and joints flexible. As a weight-bearing exercise, walking is your defense against osteoporosis as you age.

Walking is great for your skin. The blood circulation gets those red blood cells moving around, putting a pink glow in your cheeks.

Great for the soul

Walking increases endorphins, the feel-good hormones. Stress floats away with each step.

Walking can be very social. Get to know your neighbors.

You can walk with friends and family.

Long walks and talks via cell phone give you a chance to reconnect with dear faraway friends.

You can walk by yourself. The solitude of walking can help you feel centered and calm. You can solve all the problems of the world.

Get ready

If you have any kind of heart, lung or joint problem, check with your health care provider before heading out the door for a walk.

Put your feet in good walking shoes, with good socks. The local running store can fit your feet with the cushioning and support you need, especially as you increase your walking.

Wear bright colors so drivers and bikers can’t miss seeing you. Know where you are walking. Be street smart and safe.

Take your cell phone with you, just in case. You may need to bring your glasses with you so you can screen out the calls you don’t want.

Free smartphone apps can track your distances and map your walks. MapMyWalk and MapMyRun are favorites. Another app can turn your smartphone into a pedometer.

If you want to build your strength and enjoy longer walks, increase your distance about 10 percent each week. More than that, and the risks of injury increase too.

But most important of all, get out, enjoy your walk under our great Central Florida skies and make it a special part of your routine.