To the ladies who rarely have time to exercise, now may be a good time to start walking, as a study on MedicalNewsToday.com revealed that walking for at least three hours a week--an amount of time that can easily be squeezed into one’s daily schedule--can lower the risk of stroke among women.

Led by José María of the Murcia Regional Health Authority in Spain, the study surveyed 33,000 men and women between the ages 29 and 69 about the amount and kind of physical activity they did from 1992 to 1996. A follow-up was conducted in 2006 to see if any of the participants developed cardiovascular conditions.

At the end of the study period, 442 participants suffered from stroke. On the other hand, those who walked for at least three hours a week were 43 percent less likely to suffer from the condition as compared to those who had sedentary lifestyles.

Interestingly, the benefit of a lower of stroke risk was not applicable to male participants. This could be due to the fact that, on average, the men had better health than the women during the course of the research.

It’s always good to keep fit. Even if it seems like it’s impossible to squeeze exercise into your busy schedule, you can always try incorporating it to your lifestyle by walking the last few blocks to your office instead of taking a cab or by jogging with your dog during the weekend.

(Photo by Gustavo Veríssimo via Flickr Creative Commons)