Walking workouts are trending right now, but can they really get you fit? From walking pads to walking clubs, people are really leaning into walking for fitness, and I am honestly here for it. With all the hype comes an important question: What is it doing for your overall fitness?
Why Are Walking Workouts Suddenly So Popular?
Walking workouts are not a new fitness trend, but what has changed is that people are thinking differently about how they move. At first glance, it seems like fitness culture prioritizes intense workouts to make them “count”. That toxic thinking is that if you are not exhausted to the point of fatigue or dripping with sweat, then it wasn’t a good workout. When it couldn’t be further from the truth.
Walking workouts challenge that. It is accessible to all, low-impact, and can fit into almost anyone’s day. In addition, it is great for fat loss. When thinking about how your body reacts to exercise and fat burning, it burns fat during moderate- to low-impact workouts. Walking workouts are something people can stick to, versus that perfect intense workout every once in a while. It is something you can easily add to your day or use to stay active while connecting with loved ones.
Walking Workouts For Fitness
Walking is a great way to begin your fitness journey. Walking workouts are easy, inexpensive, and low-impact for first-timers. Walking should be part of an active lifestyle at any level; it improves cardiovascular fitness, increases your daily movement, offers mental health benefits, and builds endurance. Although it is a great way to get cardio, if your goals are to build strength and add muscle, walking shouldn’t be your only method of fitness. Overall, walking workouts help you build an exercise habit without feeling like you have to rearrange your life or schedule.
7 Benefits of Walking Workouts
- Supports cardiovascular health: Walking gets your heart working and can improve cardiovascular fitness, especially when you increase your pace.
- Helps you move more throughout the day: If you spend most of your day sitting at a desk, in the car, or on the couch, a 30-minute walk can be an easy way to break up long periods of inactivity. You can break it up throughout the day too without it feeling like one long workout.
- Supports mental well-being: Being outside and moving your body can change your entire mood. Stepping away from your computer and taking a walk gives you time to clear your head and breathe.
- Is relatively low-impact: Walking workouts are easier on your body than running or jumping workouts. You can add challenges by walking quicker or adding inclines.
- Improves endurance: Regular walking helps your body become more efficient at sustained activity. You can gradually increase the effort by walking longer, up hills, or faster.
- Easier to stick with: The best workout isn’t the one that burns the most calories. It is the one you can do consistently. A 30-minute workout may be easier to keep up with than an intense hour-long class that leaves you feeling defeated.
- Great weight-management strategy: Walking increases your daily caloric burn and supports fat loss.
How to Make Your Walk More Challenging
If you’ve been walking regularly and it’s starting to feel easy, it doesn’t mean you should start running. Try changing one variable at a time.
- Increase your pace: Walk fast enough that your breathing becomes heavier, but you can still maintain control.
- Add hills or an incline: Walking uphill increases the challenge without having to run. If you are on a treadmill, gradually increase the incline to ease your way into walking uphill.
- Try intervals: Alternate between brisk and steady walking. For example, two minutes easy and one minute fast. Repeat for 20-25 minutes, then go to a normal walking pace.
- Walk longer: If you normally walk for 10 minutes, add minutes each session to challenge yourself. Small increases add up over time.
- Add load: Try adding a weight vest, hand weights, or ankle weights. It increases the demand on your legs, core, and posture. Add it gradually, so your joints can adjust.
- Take the stairs: Look for opportunities to add more movement in your day. Your workout doesn’t have to end when you leave the gym or studio.
A Simple 30-Minute Walking Workout
Want to turn your regular walk into more of a workout? Try this.
- 5 minutes: Easy warm-up
- 5 minutes: Brisk walking
- 2 minutes: Faster pace
- 3 minutes: Moderate pace
- 2 minutes: Faster pace
- 3 minutes: Moderate pace
- 2 minutes: Faster pace
- 3 minutes: Moderate pace
- 5 minutes: Easy cool-down
This walking workout can be done outside or on the treadmill. If you’re using a treadmill, play around with the intervals for more of a challenge.
How to Combine Walking With Strength Training and Pilates
Once you’ve successfully become consistent with walking workouts, you can add other modalities to make a complete routine. Different types of movement serve different purposes, and here is an example of a week of workouts that incorporate walking workouts.
- Monday: Strength training
- Tuesday: 30–45 minute brisk walk
- Wednesday: Pilates
- Thursday: Strength training
- Friday: Walking
- Saturday: Pilates + longer walk
- Sunday: Rest or easy recovery walk
Your week might not look exactly like this, but it’s an example of a holistic workout routine that incorporates multiple fitness components for your overall health.
Do You Really Need 10,000 Steps a Day?
Ten thousand steps a day has been the magic number for as long as I can remember. Research suggests that you can still get meaningful results without hitting that magic number every single day. An analysis by The Lancet Public Health suggests that 7,000 steps a day are associated with meaningful health outcomes, but striving for 10,000 steps a day is a reasonable goal. Additionally, the second JAMA study examined middle-aged adults and found that those walking at least 7,000 steps a day had a lower mortality risk.
What does this mean for you? Think of the 10,000 steps a day as the ultimate goal. If you are currently averaging 3,000 steps a day, try to get to 5,000. The goal isn’t to obsess over a number. It’s to find something realistic, sustainable, and supportive for your overall health.
Walking Workouts: The Takeaway
Walking is more than just a warm-up; it is an integral part of any fitness routine. If you are just starting out in exercise, it is a great way to get fit and stay consistent. Walking can be the foundation of your fitness routine without being your entire routine. If you are already relatively active, it’s perfect for recovery days, stress relief, and maintenance. Overall, it’s accessible and builds longevity the more you do it. Build a movement routine you can consistently practice.
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