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If you want to dial up your fitness efforts but feel intimidated, don’t worry: Exercise doesn’t have to be super-intense or punishing to be effective. In fact, you might be surprised to learn that walking is one of the most beneficial forms of low-impact activity. Not to mention, it generally doesn't require a fancy gym membership or special equipment, and you already have the moves memorized: one foot in front of the other! Walking is a foundational exercise, says Michele Stanten, a certified fitness instructor and the author of Walk Off Weight. “It’s an activity that can bridge all life stages and is something you can come back to again and again,” she adds.
Read on to learn more about walking for weight loss, the health benefits of walking, expert advice for buying sneakers, and three walking plans to help you go farther and faster.
Walking and weight loss
If losing weight is part of your overall health and wellness plan, you may be wondering if walking can help. All activity can help support weight loss, walking being no exception. Research has linked brisk walking with reductions in body weight, BMI, and waist circumference. It may even offer a bonus benefit when it comes to healthy-eating efforts: A 2015 study found that taking a 15-minute walk can help curb sugary-snack cravings.
How should you walk each day to lose weight? Public health guidelines recommend that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity (like brisk walking) per week, and how and when you reach that goal is your choice. Check in with your current activity level, and aim to increase your walking in a way that works best for you. That might mean a 15-minute stroll after dinner during the week, with longer routes on the weekends; 30-minute walks five days a week; or simply getting up and walking whenever and wherever you can. If you’re just getting started, Stanten recommends focusing on consistency. Moving for even five or 10 minutes on your busiest days still counts and helps build the habit, she says.
Once you have a routine, you can experiment with raising the intensity level and trimming your time commitment. While both moderate- and high-intensity workouts support weight loss, high-intensity workouts raise your heart rate more and can impart the same benefits in less time. Research also suggests that people who do high-intensity activity may lose more body fat than those who do longer, less intense workouts. Try picking up your pace to complete your usual route in less time, or add short bursts of fast-walking or light jogging throughout your walk.
Ultimately, no matter how intense you choose to make your walks, the best activity for weight loss or any other health goal is one you enjoy and will do regularly.
Health benefits of walking
Beyond weight loss, the benefits of exercise are well established. But it’s easy to forget that the basic activity of walking counts toward your activity goals. “I often hear, ‘I just walked’ or “I’m just going for a walk’ and we all need to stop saying that,” Stanten stresses. Walking is free, easy on joints, and any movement is better than no movement. She also notes that the pros of walking are not reserved for people who walk as their main form of exercise. Even if you have a go-to fitness routine, taking a walk on an active recovery day or as an after-dinner activity with your family can offer physical and mental benefits.
1. May reduce disease risks
As we mentioned, incorporating any regular exercise into your routine can help improve overall health, and research has linked walking to the same benefits. Here are some of the chronic diseases that walking can help support:
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Heart disease: Even one extra hour of walking per week can help lower risk of heart disease in women, according to a study published in JAMA.
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Stroke: A 2014 study found that older adults who spent time walking had a reduced risk of stroke. While earlier research linked any pace to protective benefits, a recent meta analysis suggests that walking at a faster pace may lower risk even further.
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Type 2 diabetes: Research has also linked walking to reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, and improved health outcomes for people living with the disease.
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Certain cancers: While there are many risk factors for different types of cancers, a 2016 analysis found that leisure-time activity, including walking, was associated with a lower risk of more than a dozen types of cancer, including liver, lung, and kidney cancers.
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Osteoporosis: Walking can help prevent osteoporosis—and reduce the risk of bone fractures—by supporting bone density.
2. Could boost your mood
No knock against people who run marathons to get that famed “runner’s high,” but you definitely don’t need to go that hard. Research has found that even a 10- or 15-minute walk can have an impact on stress and creative thinking. Experts say this is often all it takes to affect neurotransmitters associated with positive mood.
3. Supports better sleep quality
Over a third of Americans aren’t getting enough shut-eye, according to the CDC, and the effects are more than just feeling tired—lack of sleep can impact your physical and mental health. The good news: Regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity may help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and generally sleep better. Some research even suggests that simply boosting your step count throughout the day could improve the snooze experience: A small observational study in Sleep Health found that people who walked more during their waking hours reported better sleep. Further research will probe the possibility of a direct link more closely.
4. May strengthen muscles
While walking on level ground is generally not a muscle-building activity, you can trick out your walk with resistance moves that help dial up the strength benefits. Look for routes with stairs or hills, do a set of lunges or squats every so often, add intervals, or wear wrist and ankle weights. Incorporating these challenges to your walks will boost the intensity, which public health guidelines recommend when looking to build muscle and bone. Considering walking with small hand weights or wearable weights? While they’re fine to try, it’s best to avoid using them if you develop signs of strain in wrists, elbows, and shoulders, Stanten says. And note that wearing or carrying weights may slow your pace, affecting calorie burn. An alternate idea: Add a separate day of strength training to your routine.
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