A new study confirms that doing something as natural as rapid walking can boost up weight loss while trimming hazardous belly fat and overall body fat.

Scientist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle followed 102 men and 100 women for a year. At the beginning, the participants, ages 40-75, were sedentary and unfit. They were divided into two groups. One was encouraged to do 60 minutes of physical activity a day, 6 days a week; the other was given no specific exercise advice. There was no diet plan.

After the research, the following findings were found:

1. Women who increased their activity level by an additional 3, 500 steps a day lost 5 pounds during the year.
2. Men who added that any steps lost 8 ½ pounds a year.
3. The exercisers who did the most-60 minutes, 6 days a week-decreases their belly fat by 10%-20%.
4. Those same exercisers trimmed 10%-15% of their overall body fat without losing muscle mass.

Additionally, in lowering the risk of many serious medical conditions, regular physical activity also improves quality of life by reducing stress, depression and anxiety, and by improving bone and joint health, sex drive, sleep and memory. [via]