Is Walking Good Exercise? Things you need to know about walking for exercise

Walking is often an underrated form of exercise—but every type of exerciser can benefit from adding more walks to their daily routine.

While high-intensity activity certainly has its place, so does the most basic, accessible form of exercise: walking. And in 2020, it’s become an even more vital physical activity for many people.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), walking is the most popular form of aerobic exercise among adults in the United States. The most recent stats show that more than 145 million adults include walking as part of a physically active lifestyle. People walk for transportation and for fun, relaxation, or exercise, or for other reasons. It makes sense.

“When you believe in your ability to do [an exercise], you’re more likely to stick with it,” she adds. “That’s why so many people walk for exercise. It’s easy to do, and you can do it anywhere. You just need just a good supportive pair of shoes.”

There are also endless ways to walk. Walking your dog, hiking, sight-seeing, power-walking, treadmill striding, and mall walking are all legit ways to get some steps in.

One of the biggest reasons walking is so popular is because it’s a low-impact exercise, meaning it doesn’t put nearly as much pressure on the joints as running or any sort of jumping or hopping movement. The risk of injury is relatively low, says Lauryn Mohr, personal trainer and metabolic specialist at Life Time Fitness in Omaha, Nebraska.

How to start walking for fitness

Experts recommend adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. This can be broken down into small, doable spurts of activity; in fact, it should be, if you’re just starting out. If you want to use walking as your aerobic activity of choice, here’s how to get the most out of it.

Check with your doctor before starting

This is especially important if you have any medical or orthopedic conditions that may limit your walking ability.

Get a comfy pair of shoes

The only equipment you need to walk for fitness is a good pair of sneakers. Make sure they fit properly and support your feet.

Keep safety in mind

Finding a safe route is important, you need to be careful depending on the area you’re walking in, and always be conscious of your surroundings.

Don’t crank up your playlist so loudly that you can’t hear cars, bikers, or pedestrians around you. And make sure to wear reflective clothing if you’re walking early in the morning or late at night when it’s dark out.

Start slow and progress slowly

Starting slow is a great idea, as you can gauge the level of fitness you are currently at, If you can only walk for a certain number of minutes or just around the block, then you have your baseline.

Even if it’s just five or 10 minutes at a time, that’s great. From there, you can gradually pick up the pace.

Make it a habit

To reap the benefits of walking, Mohr recommends making it a healthy habit. “I like to build on something most people are already doing and then attach a new habit to it,” she says. “For most beginners, I recommend walking after a meal. You’re already in the habit of eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So start with walking for 10 minutes after every meal.”

At the end of the day, you’ll have accumulated 30 minutes of walking. If that doesn’t fit with your schedule, start doing it after just one meal, and then either extend the length or add in more walks throughout the day over time.

Pick up the pace when you want

Walking doesn’t have to be intense, but if you want to challenge yourself a little more and get your heart rate higher, it’s easy to do. Try adding some high-intensity intervals, push yourself at a fast pace for 30 seconds, and then go back to your normal comfortable pace for a few minutes.

Remember to warm up

Walking is already a form of warming up, so there are a few options here. You can simply start extra slowly, giving your body five minutes or so to wake up and get blood flowing to all the muscles that need it.

Stretch afterward if you can

Stretching the lower-body muscles—quads, hamstrings, calves—after a walk helps improve the circulation so your muscles can heal, as well as decreases the soreness and stiffness that can happen after a workout. (Inputs from The Healthy)