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There’s a common misconception that walking is not an intense enough form of exercise, but walking has well-documented physical and mental health benefits.
My clients often ask me if walking is good exercise, and I always reply enthusiastically, “Yes!”
Walking just 30 minutes a day decreases the risk of severe cardiovascular disease and dementia, according to two new studies from autumn 2023. The researchers found that the risks of heart disease and cancer decreased by 10% for every 2,000 steps walked each day up to 10,000 steps a day.
They also found that the faster the pace, the greater the benefits: Walking at a pace of 80 steps or more per minute reduced the risk of serious illness by a greater percentage than walking 40 steps per minute — but walking at any pace on a regular basis can also help to reduce stress and body fat.
If you’re still concerned that walking isn’t serious enough exercise for weight loss, check out the amazing transformations of members our Start TODAY walking group, and you'll believe that walking can really make a big difference!
Health benefits of walking
Walking has been a hot topic in recent years, with researchers discovering more and more ways that it can benefit your health. Check out these lesser-known benefits to walking regularly, and then take a look at the 31-day walking plan that I created for TODAY, which also includes strength-training exercises to help build muscle.
Walking just 10 minutes a day can improve your mood, studies show.
Daily walking can increase metabolism in women 35-50 years old.
A daily walk can improve sleep quality and length of sleep, another recent study found.
Since it increases blood flow, researchers found walking just an hour a week can help adults with joint pain improve their range of motion and mobility.
Premenopausal women can improve bone density by taking a brisk walk for 30 minutes three days a week.
How to make your walking workout more intense
So how can you make sure you’re getting the most out of your walk? Here are five ways to supercharge your walking routine:
- Walk for at least 30 minutes a day. If walking is your main source of exercise, set a goal of logging at least 30 minutes a day. If weight loss is your goal, aim for longer walks of 45-60 minutes when you can. Some people also find that setting a step goal — like 10,000 steps a day — helps motivate them. Choose a time or step goal that is attainable for you. If you need to start with just 10 minutes or 5,000 steps a day and build up, that is better than nothing! The first step is ensuring that you can be consistent with your walking; once you make it a daily habit, then work on increasing the duration.
- Pick up the pace. Walking briskly helps improve cardiovascular fitness and burns more calories. If you struggle to walk briskly for 30 minutes straight, try adding intervals into your walk. To alternate your pace, walk for one minute or one block at a regular pace, and then speed walk for the next minute or block. Be sure to adjust your routine so that you continue to make progress. If your walk starts to feel easier, that is a sign that it’s time to pick up the pace or adjust your intervals. For example, walking two to three minutes at a brisk pace and then recovering for one minute.
- Add in some hills. We all get stuck in the rut of taking that same route around the neighborhood. Switching things up keeps your body guessing and introduces new challenges, which will help you see results faster. Spice it up by finding a route with some elevation. Walking on an incline will engage your leg muscles more than walking on level ground, so take a path with some hills. This will make for a more intense workout for your glutes, hamstrings and quads, while also increasing your heart rate.
- Walk with hand or ankle weights. If you would like to see more progress when it comes to building muscle and toning, try adding weights. With ankle weights you are making your body work harder to perform the same walking movement. If you want to work your arms, try walking with light dumbbells or these body-weight arm exercises. One of my clients started walking with two, 20-ounce water bottles and makes it her goal to drink both of them by the time she makes it back to her house!
- Increase your distance over time. When it comes to any form of exercise, knowing when to increase the intensity of your workout is essential in making progress. This goes for walking as well. After consistently walking the same distance for a few weeks, try gradually increasing how far you go. Sometimes the best way to do this is with distraction! Get lost in a podcast or a playlist of your favorite music and the time will fly by. One of my clients uses her time speed walking through the neighborhood to say positive affirmations to herself like, “I am a walking machine!” and “I feel so good in my own skin!” Some days she gets so carried away with her affirmations that an hour goes by. She started noticing that she was sweatier and more out of breath after the longer walks, so that motivated her to get lost in her own positive self-talk more often.
Stephanie Mansour
Stephanie Mansour is a contributing health and fitness writer for TODAY. She is a certified personal trainer, yoga and Pilates instructor andweight-loss coachfor women. She hosts “Step It Up with Steph” on PBS. Join her complimentary health and weight-losschallenge and follow her for daily inspiration onInstagram and in hernew app.
FAQs
A new meta-analysis led by the University of Granada, found that 8,800 daily steps, which equates to about four miles, can significantly reduce the risk of premature death.
Does walking reduce the risk of death? ›
The risk of dying from any cause or from cardiovascular disease decreases significantly with every 500 to 1000 extra steps you walk.
How many steps you need to take a day to lower your risk of death? ›
Overall, taking 9,000 to 10,500 steps per day cut the risk of early death by 39% and the risk of a heart attack or stroke by 21%. In both cases, 50% of the benefit was achieved at between 4,000 and 4,500 steps per day.
How many steps should you walk to live longer? ›
Research published Aug. 9 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found walking just shy of 4,000 steps a day — 3,867, to be precise, or roughly 2 miles — can reduce your risk of dying from any cause, and taking 2,337 steps can lower your odds of dying from cardiovascular disease.
How many steps should I walk for healthy life? ›
How many steps to take for general health. Walking is a form of low impact, moderate intensity exercise that has a range of health benefits and few risks. As a result, the CDC recommend that most adults aim for 10,000 steps per day .
How many hours of walking is safe? ›
Walking for 30 minutes a day or more on most days of the week is a great way to improve or maintain your overall health. If you can't manage 30 minutes a day, remember even short walks more frequently can be beneficial. Walking with others can turn exercise into an enjoyable social occasion.
Is Too Much walking bad for the heart? ›
Chronic extreme exercise training and competing in endurance events can lead to heart damage and rhythm disorders. People with genetic risk factors are especially vulnerable. That doesn't mean you should put away the walking shoes, though.
Is 10,000 steps a day enough for heart health? ›
A recent study offers some insights. Getting in 9,000 to 10,000 daily steps cuts risk of death by more than a third and reduced cardiovascular disease risk by at least 20 percent, but even smaller increases showed benefits, researchers found in a study of more than 72,000 people. “Any activity is good activity.
Is it safe to walk 50000 steps a day? ›
50,000 steps are equivalent to 37km (approximately). This distance is 88% of a Olympic marathon. Even an advanced athlete would struggle to walk for 50,000 steps, but if you manage to complete 50,000 steps then the next day would be really a painful one. (You May get blisters on your foot).
Is walking 1000 steps a day good? ›
“We showed that every increase of steps by 1000 steps/day is associated with a 15% reduction in the risk of dying from any cause, and every increase by 500 steps/day is associated with a 7% reduction in dying from cardiovascular disease,” added Banach, who is also an adjunct professor of cardiology at Johns Hopkins ...
A longer walk may take more time, but the activity lowers your risk of injury and provides many of the same health benefits as walking faster. A longer walk builds endurance so that you can, over time, cover longer distances, Dr. Higgins says. Consistent walking allows you to gradually combine both distance and speed.
How far should a 70 year old walk every day? ›
Older adults who walk three to four miles a day — 6,000 to 9,000 steps — were found to be 40 to 50 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke than those who walk a mile (2,000 steps) a day, according to research published in the journal Circulation.
Do fast walkers live longer? ›
There are few things more infuriating than being stuck on the pavement behind someone ambling at a snail-like pace. Now, however, scientists have found that there is a benefit in being a fast walker as they live longer and are less likely to die of cancer or heart disease than dawdlers.
Does walking on the spot count as steps? ›
Walking on the spot counts towards your daily step count but it should not be used as a substitute for taking real walks outdoors or on a treadmill.
Does walking count as exercise? ›
Walking is simple, free and one of the easiest ways to get more active, lose weight and become healthier. Sometimes overlooked as a form of exercise, walking briskly can help you build stamina, burn excess calories and make your heart healthier. You do not have to walk for hours.
Is walking 1 hour a day good? ›
The bottom line
Walking is a great form of exercise, and doing so for 1 hour each day may aid in weight loss and provide other health benefits. Walking is an effective way to lose weight because it helps you burn more calories, especially when you monitor your calorie intake.
Does walking reduce all cause mortality? ›
Importance Previous studies have shown that individuals who regularly walk, particularly 8000 daily steps or more, experience lower mortality. However, little is known about the health benefits of walking intensively only a few days a week.
Is a daily 11 minute brisk walk enough to reduce the risk of early death? ›
An 11-minute brisk walk every day could prevent one in 10 premature deaths worldwide, according to the largest ever study of its kind.
Does walking everyday increase life expectancy? ›
“More steps per day are better for your health. And the benefit in terms of mortality risk levels off around 6,000 to 8,000 for older adults and 8,000 to 10,000 for younger adults.”
How much should you walk to reduce your risk of heart disease? ›
To make it really work for you, work 30 minutes of light- to moderate-effort walking into your daily routine and you will lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. It doesn't even have to be non-stop – three 10-minute walks will do the trick too.
