For students eager to enjoy the warmer temperatures and sunny skies, getting out to take a walk can be a way to get in shape, release stress and socialize with friends, experts said.

Walking is an exercise that can be done “anywhere, any time,” said Emily Martini, walking for fitness instructor at Iowa State.

“The only equipment you need is a pair of shoes,” said Martini, graduate student in health and human performance.

While running is a more time-efficient form of exercise, walking burns the same amount of calories mile-for-mile, said Debra Atkinson, temporary instructor of health and human performance.

“Walking provides all of the benefits of jogging or running with minimal impact,” she said.

Walking tones the legs and lower body and also slims down the waist, Atkinson said.

For students who wish to burn fat, Martini said walking is an ideal exercise.

When the body works at a low to moderate intensity, fat is the preferred fuel, she said. However, when one works at a high intensity, such as when running, the primary fuel is burned is carbohydrates, she said.

For most, walking at a moderate pace can burn more than 300 kilocalories per hour.

Another advantage of walking is its social aspect.

“You can walk at any age,” Martini said. “Walking can be done with family, friends and significant others. It is a universal exercise – we all walk.”

For students, walking can help to deal with the stress of college life, and is also the most accessible mode of transportation on campus.

“Walking is relaxing, stress relieving and fun,” said Christine Crow, junior in dietetics, who said she walks and runs two to three times a week.

In his article “Walking Makes People Feel Better,” Panteleimon Ekkekakis, assistant professor of health and human performance, wrote that short, 10- to 15-minute walks can “make people feel happier, more energized, calm and relaxed.”

To receive maximum benefits from walking, it is important to have good technique, Atkinson said.

A walker should lean forward slightly, as if they had “a string pulling their chest forward,” Atkinson said. Hips should be tucked under, and head should be up, she said. Arms should be bent at a 90-degree angle and should swing back and forth to propel the legs, Atkinson said.

“Imagine there is someone standing in front of you, and you punch them every time with your fists, and there is someone behind you that you hit with your elbows,” she said.

Any amount of walking incorporated into a day will be beneficial for health, Atkinson said.

However, for the best health benefits one should walk at a moderate pace for 30 minutes, two to three times a week, she said. This time can be split up into shorter segments or done all at once.

Exercising for this amount of time will yield a stronger heart and bones, decreased heart disease risk and improve sleep, Martini said.

If the thought of a long walk sounds boring, Martini said to keep up motivation by recruiting a walking friend.

A change of scenery also can help spice up a walk. Martini said she recommends walking on a new bike path, or in Brookside Park.

Kevin Shawgo, park superintendent for Ames, said there is a “variety of different parks available for walkers” such as Stuart Smith, 1501 S. 4th St., Brookside, 1325 6th St., and Moore Memorial Parks, 3050 Northridge Pkwy.

“You should enjoy walking,” Martini said. “The goal is to achieve lifetime fitness.”