If you found the fountain of youth — the secret to delaying the aging process, controlling your weight, feeling happier and less anxious, sleeping better and warding off illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases — would you partake? What if you had to walk briskly for 15 minutes each way so you could drink this magical elixir every day?

Unfortunately, there's no such fountain, but you can receive all these benefits by simply taking that 30-minute daily walk. Studies have suggested that walking at a brisk pace for three or more hours a week can reduce the risk for coronary heart disease by 65 percent. And if walking isn't your cup of tea, there are endless options, all with the same results. What's missing in this age of modern conveniences and desk jobs are ways to get our bodies up and moving on a regular basis.

It's no wonder, then, that in several studies, about 25 percent of American adults — and an even greater percentage of women — report that they are sedentary and engage in no physical activity during leisure time. After age 44, upwards of 30 percent of women are sedentary, and by age 65, the proportion increases to almost 35 percent. And by the time they reach age 75, about 50 percent of all women are sedentary. Only about 22 percent of American adults engage in regular, sustained physical activity for at least 30 minutes five times a week, and only 15 percent exercise both regularly and vigorously.