If your gym is still closed, don't sweat it. Experts say that the simple and affordable act of walking can reap huge benefits. Harvard Medical School experts said that walking has been scientifically shown to reduce certain forms of cancer, fight obesity, and ease joint pain. Walking also boosts immune function, which is excellent news during the coronavirus pandemic.

"It's the closest thing we have to a wonder drug," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Here are seven ways walking can improve your health:

1. It counteracts fat genes. Harvard researchers studied 32 obesity-promoting genes in over 12,000 people to find out how these genes affected actual weight. The researchers found that the effects of the genes were slashed in half when people walked an hour daily.
2. It lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease. According to the American Heart Association, walking at a lively pace for 150 minutes a week improves blood pressure and lowers blood cholesterol levels.
3. It increases longevity. The AHA estimates that for every hour of brisk walking, life expectancy for some people may increase by two hours.
4. It eases anxiety and depression. A large Australian study showed that moderate-intensity exercise such as walking improved the quality of life for middle-aged women. One in 10 U.S. adults suffers from depression, according to the CDC, and women are 70% more likely to be depressed at some point in their lives than men.
5. It reduces the risk of developing breast cancer. An American Cancer Society study found that women who walked seven or more hours weekly had a 14% lower risk of developing breast cancer than those who walked three hours or less.
6. It eases joint pain. The Arthritis Foundation says that walking actually supports your joints by infusing them with oxygen and other nutrients. "If you don't walk, joints are deprived of life-giving fluid, which can speed deterioration," says the organization.
7. It boosts the immune system. According to Harvard Health, a study of over 1,000 men and women found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, five days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. And if they did get sick, their illness was less severe.