Run an errand. Take the dog out. Go for a relaxing stroll. With every step, walking offers benefits and is some of the best exercise for heart health.

Walking can improve your cholesterol levels, blood pressure and energy levels, plus it can fight weight gain to improve heart health overall, as the American Heart Association explains. It can also reduce stress, clear your mind and boost your mood.

All of those things can help reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. The best part? You only need about two and a half hours per week of moderate exercise, which can simply be a brisk walk around the park.

How to Squeeze More Steps into Your Busy Schedule

Sometimes, it's easier to talk the talk than walk the walk, especially if you have a job that keeps you sedentary most of the day.

By taking time to understand your daily routine, it's possible to find pockets of time for cardiovascular fitness in the form of walking. With your doctor's guidance, try these health tips to implement more walking into your day:

1. Go for an early-morning walk with your pooch.
2. When going to work or the store, park your car far from the entrance so that you can fit more steps into your day.
3. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
4. Wear a pedometer or use an app to keep track of your physical activity and set attainable goals to stay motivated, perhaps 5,000 steps a day.
5. Set a timer to get up and move around the office at least once an hour.
6. Recruit coworkers for a daily lunchtime walk outside, weather permitting.

But Don’t Just Talk the Walk. Make a Plan.

If you need extra motivation or structure to fit walking into your day, consider this 12-week walking schedule from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, courtesy of the Mayo Clinic.

The schedule, designed to help you get up to speed with a daily walking routine, starts out with 5-minute increments of walking, including a warmup, brisk walk and cool down. By the final week, you can work your way up to a full 30 minutes of brisk walking, sandwiched between 5 minutes of an easier pace.

Be sure to consult your doctor first to make sure this program is right for you, especially if you're older than 40 and haven't been physically active.

Want More? Add in Some Strength Exercises.

Although you can certainly walk your way to improved heart health, you can push, pull, lift, squat and lunge your way to it, too. The AHA recommends twice-a-week strength training for stronger bones, muscles and connective tissues. Plus, by building muscles, you can help lower your blood pressure to prime your body for the physical activity your heart needs.

When you've made a good habit out of walking, and if your body is up for it, consider mixing these quick exercises into your routine:

• Walking lunges: As you walk, take a larger-than-normal step and bring your back knee close to the ground for a full lunge. Then, step forward with your back foot in the same way. Repeat for 10 lunges at a time, if possible.
• Walking curl presses: Bring along a light pair of weights, such as 2- or 3-pound dumbbells. As you walk, start with the weights in each hand down by your thighs. Bring the weights up into a curl to your shoulders, then press above your head. Return the weights back down to your shoulders and then back your thighs. Repeat in 3-minute increments, if possible.
• Knee-tap march: Walk forward with high knees, tapping your knees with your hand at every step. Repeat in 3-minute increments, if possible.

Can Walking Be the Key to a Longer Life?

With a little patience, practice and perseverance, you may be able to work your way up to more cardio and resistance exercises. And while the two-and-a-half hour per week rule makes for a great starting point, more exercise can be worth it, if you've got the time.

Compared to less than 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise, working out two to four times beyond that can reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by as much as 38 percent, one study found.

If you want to focus on ways to improve heart health, don't let the excuses stop you. Whether you take a stroll, jaunt, saunter, hike or promenade, just get out there and walk. Your heart will thank you.

This story has been updated and was originally published Nov. 12, 2018.