Walking for Health: The Surprising Benefits of This Simple Activity

If you think running, spinning, strength training, and other forms of high-intensity workouts are the only "real" form of exercise, we've got some news that might help you breathe easy.

"Walking is very effective early in building a baseline cardiovascular fitness level, and it's a great form of exercise—especially for those who haven't been active before or those interested in starting a running routine," says Austin Johnson. NCSF Certified Personal Trainer and National Personal Training Manager for Gold's Gym based in Antonio, Texas. "For those two types of exercisers, it's important to start their routines at a moderate intensity to prevent injuries, and walking is the perfect way to do that!"

Why walking is a great form of exercise
Health benefits of walking include healthy blood sugar, a stronger cardiovascular system, improved fertility and more.

"Walking is an excellent form of exercise for preventing diseases that affect our mental health and some heart-related conditions," says Ben Walker, a certified personal trainer with Fitness Anywhere in Dublin, Ireland. "It stimulates blood flow to the brain and the rest of the body, boosts our metabolism, reduces feelings of anxiety and stress, and improves our overall mood. It also lowers blood pressure."

A study published in the Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that just 30 minutes of daily walking can significantly improve mental health (including reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety) and immune function.

Walking and weight loss
While walking is wonderful for your mind and body, and can certainly increase longevity and improve mood, walking isn't the most efficient form of exercise if you're aiming to lose weight, Walker says. (Still, walking away from 10 pounds is *possible*—if you're willing to be patient enough to stick it out over the course of a few months.)

"To effectively lose weight in a day, we need to be in a calorie deficit. This means we need to burn more calories than we consume. It is recommended that women and men eat an average of 2,000 and 2,500 calories per day, respectively. , and simply walking may not be effective enough to make up the deficit," says Walker.

How much to walk every day
World Health Organization, US The Department of Health and Human Services and the American College of Sports Medicine all recommend that adults aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week for health and 300 minutes per week for weight loss.

"Moderate-intensity walking would be a brisk pace, which for most individuals who have no underlying injuries or disease, would probably be between 3 and 4 miles per hour. This would equate to a 15- to 20-minute-per-mile walking pace." Johnson says.

The US If you don't want to track your pace, just try the talk test, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Moderate-intensity exercise should get you out of breath enough that you can talk, but not sing.

How to Step Up Your Walking Workout
So with that in mind, here's how to get started, how to pace things, and how to eventually progress from walking to running (if that's your goal).

Step 1: Walk at a steady, comfortable pace for 10 minutes at a time, working up to being able to walk 30 minutes a day at your desired pace.
Step 2: Walk for 30 minutes every day at a moderate to brisk pace that allows you to talk but not sing.
Step 3: Mix the terrain. Walking on inclines keeps the heart rate up - and as a result, the metabolic rate and calorie burn as well. Walker adds that this also challenges the lower body muscles to work as a resistance-training workout.