A leading UK walking tour operator, Waymark Holidays, said more and more clients are looking to walking or activity-based holidays for health reasons.

�Every one of our clients report feeling and looking healthier after even just a few days walking, with the positive effect on stress levels being the biggest factor,� said managing director Neil Saunders.

�The health benefits of exercise is one of the prime reasons that 70 per cent of them are repeat clients that come back year after year to keep their fitness in check.�

In an age of increasing obesity, more and more studies are touting the benefits of exercise. One report published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that �3 hours of exercise a week had the same effect as prescribed medication on depressed patients�.

At the same time the Ramblers Association in the UK is urging doctors to prescribe exercise more readily to obese patients.

This comes as some mental health practitioners in America are gaining qualifications as fitness trainers in order to incorporate exercise into their treatment programmes.

Mr Saunders said the company is seeing an increasing number of clients who have done 30 plus trips with the company, averaging 2-3 trips per year.

�The feedback we get is that it makes them feel good and lose those excess pounds and combining it in a holiday gives them something to either kickstart their regime, or a goal to work towards achieving.�

Waymark Holidays offers a range of 7-14 day walking tours in Europe in the summer months, with winter walking, snowshoeing and winter experience trips in winter. Grades range from �sightseeing� to Grade 4+ that features long days with some scrambling and peak bagging.

For more information see www.waymarkholidays.com or phone 01753 516 477.