If all I do is walk for exercise, is that a good enough workout?

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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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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!
5. 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.