Sometimes all you need to get moving is a good excuse. Permission, say, to get up from your desk and take a 30-minute walk. Which is what you have today from the American Heart Association.

Today is National Start! Walking Day, deemed so by the American Heart Association. Today, over your lunch “hour,” the AHA wants you to get up from your desk and take a 30-minute walk — a 30-minute walk-a-day being the AHA’s prescription for better heart health (in addition to yielding a host of other benefits). And if the boss raises an eyebrow and says, “Whoa! Bumstead! Where do you think you’re going?”, the AHA has a succinct elevator speech for you to deliver:

Poor diet and lack of exercise are responsible for at least 25 percent of health care costs incurred by working adults. Is it any wonder, then, that investing in the health of employees is one of the best decisions a company can make?

By the time Mr. Dithers can come up with a response, you’re out the door. And if he tries to corner you upon your return, tell him to go here.

Heart disease, the AHA points out, is the nation’s No. 1 killer. They have a simple equation to combat that statistic: Walking more + eating better = living a longer, healthier life.

To help ensure that today’s walk isn’t a one-time deal, the AHA has created a Web site, startwalkingnow.org, offering various tools to help you incorporate walking and eating better into your daily routine. For starters, there’s a community where you can chat with other folks trying to live healther lives. There are maps of walks in your area that others recommend (you can recommend one, too). A tracker helps you keep tabs on your progress. There are a slew of helpful resources on nutrition. And if you need a goal in addition to feeling great, there’s a rundown of nationwide Heart Walks (there are 10 in North Carolina) to raise awareness of, and money for the fight against heart disease. (And if you want even more incentive along this line don’t forget about the March of Dimes March for Babies walks.)

So take advantage of your free pass from the American Heart Association and take a 30-minute walk at lunch today.