By Erin R. King

Aug. 29 (CBSHealthWatch)--Starting a healthy program of walking for exercise and reducing calorie intake can cut down on heart disease risk factors and result in weight loss in as little as six months, according to a new study.

A group of overweight women between the ages of 51 and 66 lowered their amount of body fat, increased muscle size and improved levels of cholesterol in the blood by adding some exercise to their lives and eating better.

Alice S. Ryan, PhD, assistant professor in the department of gerontology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and an author of the study, says these changes could have similar results for all women, but motivation and commitment are an important part of success. Still, she says, some things can be easy to start doing.

"The walking was not intense," Ryan says. "They came to our site one day a week, and then they were supposed to exercise on their own another two times a week for the six months, so in that sense it's really not intense."

While the women's weight loss was, in scientific terms, "statistically significant" for the purposes of the study, Ryan says it could make a big impact in the individual participants' lives.

"Any time you lose some fat around your abdomen or you lose weight, you improve your cardiovascular disease risk factors. Any improvement is significant," she says.

Others agree. "Increased physical fitness and weight loss have reduced a lot of risk factors for heart disease,"says Dr. Rita F. Redberg, associate professor of medicine at the University of California at San Francisco and research director for the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women's Health.

She notes that the participants in Ryan's study had "fairly significant" weight loss, an average of about 15 pounds in six months. "That's a lot," Redberg says, adding that it is important to maintain the program for the benefits to continue.

"Even if you're making small changes, because these are fairly low-cost and something that everyone can do on their own at home, the potential impact of these can be tremendous," Redberg says.

Redberg points to a recent study that showed more women in the US are becoming obese. Easy-to-start, easy-to-stick-with fitness and diet programs are a necessity for helping women get healthy.

She recommends the American Heart Association's "Choose To Move" program as a good way to implement a weight loss and fitness program. Choose to Move is similar to the program used in Ryan's study.

(From AOL.com)