Research has shown that walking is a surprisingly powerful health and fitness strategy—our bodies are built for it—but there’s more than one way to get the most out of your daily steps.
Health spoke to three experts with different approaches to fulfilling walks to help you choose what’s best for you.
“From a purely physiological standpoint, walking gets your heart rate up and burns calories,” celebrity trainer David Kirsch tells Health magazine, “But walking also enhances the mind-body connection, helps you focus on your breathing, spend time in nature, meditates, and is a great way to relieve stress.”
If you’re just starting out, it’s important to work your way up to 10,000 steps a day, which is the daily goal set on most fitness trackers. 10,000 steps a day is a good goal for maintaining heart health and managing your weight. But once you’ve mastered that, try 15,000 to 25,000 steps a day.
“10,000 steps should be your minimum,” Kirsch says. To increase the intensity of your walking, try walking in hilly terrain or carrying 2- to 3-pound weights on your ankles or hands.
Kirsch also suggests incorporating strength exercises like jumping jacks, walking lunges, squats and squat jumps every few minutes, which will help build muscle, improve your heart health and increase your endurance.
“Walking is extremely beneficial for your health,” Kirsch says, “and a great start and complement to any wellness program.”
“Walking is one of the best ways to maintain weight,” Amy Rothberg, MD, an endocrinologist and clinical professor of internal medicine in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes at the University of Michigan, told Health. “It’s aerobic exercise, it engages some of the largest muscles, and it’s doable for most people.”
Dr. Rothberg says walking at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week, can help you maintain a healthy weight. And you don’t have to do it all at once: “You can break up your 30-minute walk into 10-minute increments spread throughout the day,” Dr. Rothberg says.
Plus, a short walk can be quick and easy, so it may be better for your health than a full 30-minute walk. Short bouts of intense exercise can help improve your overall fitness level, and even low-intensity exercise, like walking at a brisk pace, can burn some of the fat stored in your body.
Walking in chunks can give you a small boost of confidence and keep you motivated. “If you park farther away or walk to meet a coworker, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment,” says Dr. Rothberg. “These small successes help you form good habits.”
Running coach Jeff Galloway told Health magazine that adding interval running to your walking routine can help you burn more calories, and starting out this way gradually can help you increase your mileage while avoiding injury.
Start by jogging for 5-10 seconds per minute for 10 minutes, gradually working your way up to 30 minutes. Once you’ve reached this goal, increase the length of your jog until you can jog for 30 seconds per minute for 30 minutes.
Eventually, you can work towards taking shorter walking breaks — for example, walking for 30 seconds followed by running for 60 — which can be useful when training for races longer than 5K, Galloway notes.
Galloway suggests that if you’re a regular runner who averages a 10-minute mile, alternate between 90 seconds of running and 30 seconds of walking. If you average a 12-minute mile, try alternating between 60 seconds of running and 30 seconds of walking.
In addition to these three methods, we will also introduce other techniques to keep your walking interesting.
Vary your pace. Walk on an incline at the gym or add elevation changes like hills or stairs to your route. Take a walk outside. Get a friend to join you. Listen to music. Try a walking meditation. Track your progress.
Walking is an easy way to incorporate exercise into your daily life, and studies have shown that walking at a moderate pace can reduce your risk of high blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar just as much as running.
Walking regularly provides the following health benefits:
Reduces the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and certain cancers Lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels Improves sleep Increases energy Reduces the risk of depression and anxiety
It’s also been shown to help with weight maintenance: One study found that a 12-week moderate-intensity walking program reduced abdominal fat in overweight and obese women.
The program also increased maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), an indicator of fitness level.
Walking can also help prevent serious illnesses: Research shows that a quick five-minute walk every 30 minutes can improve metabolic health, lower blood sugar levels, and lower blood pressure. Group walking has also been shown to improve quality of life and reduce the risk of depression.
Walking workouts are a great way to maintain or improve your fitness. You can walk anywhere with little equipment, and once you get up to speed, there are plenty of ways to enhance your routine and keep you healthy.
Meanwhile, your risk of a range of chronic health conditions will be reduced and your mental and physical wellbeing will improve.
