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Whether you’re hiking a glorious mountain trail or shuffling to the fridge for a midnight snack, walking is a part of everyday life. It’s also a super convenient (and cheap) way to get exercise when you’re pinched for time or looking for an activity that’s easy on your body. And if you do want to step it up, there are simple ways to take your walk to the next level; here’s how.
The perks of walking
But first, it’s important to understand just why walking is so good for your body.
Walking is a moderate-intensity exercise: Why does this matter? Mostly because the World Health Organization recommends getting around 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week (or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week). Plus, you don’t need a fancy gym membership to walk, so it’s far more accessible than other options.
Walking is good for your heart, lungs, muscles and joints: In a nutshell, walking helps your all-around physical health, which, in turn, helps you live a healthier, longer life.
Walking may help with pain: Studies show that walking may reduce back pain (and other kinds of pain) because it can help increase circulation, strengthen your core and back muscles, and improve mobility by lubricating joints.
Walking may help your mental health: According to Christopher McMullen, MD, a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor at UW Medicine specializing in sports medicine, walking may help improve mental health issues like anxiety and depression, though those benefits are not as researched as some of the physical benefits.
“Some of the studies suggest that the setting does matter, so walking outside, walking with other people,” says McMullen.
The standard recommendation to get those health benefits is walking 30 minutes, five times a week, but that’s not a hard-and-fast rule.
Ways to kick your walk up a notch
Here are some ways to boost the health benefits of your everyday stroll:
Walk uphill
Why: With inclines or elevation changes, you increase energy outputs and aerobic expenditure, so you’ll get more bang for your buck if you’re adding some of that increased exertional effort.
Add a weighted vest to your walking ensemble
Why: Historically, weighted vests have been used for athletes who want to improve performance, like sprinters looking to build strength and improve times. But these days, you’re more likely to see middle-aged or older women sporting the vests around the neighborhood, often because they’ve heard about bone health and density benefits — or are trying out the rucking trend. According to McMullen, because weighted vests increase aerobic exertion, they can help increase heart rate and energy expenditure. But when it comes to improving bone mineral density, there’s no research to show that it’s any better than doing something like weightlifting.
Try out interval (or Japanese) walking
Why: For interval walking (sometimes called Japanese walking), you’re basically walking quickly for three minutes, and then slowly for three minutes.
“The idea with interval walking, kind of like high-intensity interval training, is that you’re getting more of an aerobic workout,” says McMullen. “There have been some studies on how interval walking, though not on its own, can be more effective in lowering blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes than just walking.”
There’s also some evidence that, after joint replacement, interval walking may build strength more quickly than just normal walking.
For indoor walking, check out the 12-3-30 trend
Why: Some folks (yes, the internet ones) swear by a treadmill walking trend called 12-3-30, where you walk at a 12-degree incline at 3 mph for 30 minutes, saying it’s the best way to lose weight. McMullen acknowledges that yes, if you’re on an incline at a reasonable pace, you’re working harder, which can up your walking game. But it’s basically self-paced running, which makes it a fine workout, but not necessarily that special. You probably don’t burn as much energy as straight-out running, but it may be easier on the joints, and you still get a decent amount of energy expenditure.
Grab some poles and Nordic walk on your way
Why: This Finland-born walking trend is essentially the equivalent of cross-country skiing, without the snow. It involves using two handheld poles to propel yourself forward as you walk. This means you’re bringing your upper body into the mix and now using more than 90% of your muscles, especially your back, chest, shoulders and arms. Using that much more of your body means your heart will pump faster, you’ll burn more calories, and you’ll put less stress on your legs. Plus, the poles offer stability, which can be helpful if you have balance issues (or are recovering from an injury).
Adding even more to your stroll
As you’ve probably heard, your body needs more than just aerobic activity alone, which is why you also should incorporate some kind of resistance training into your routine.
“With resistance work, you’re building strength, you’re building bone health, and there’s probably some injury reduction happening,” says McMullen. “The aerobic stuff is great for cardiovascular fitness and cardiovascular health, but with some of the strength movements, you get those muscle and bone benefits.”
So, what does this mean for your walk? Well, every time you pause to scoop your pup’s poop, or hit a red light at the crosswalk, you could take a moment to lunge or squat (and just embrace how ridiculous you might look). By mixing other exercises into your walk, you’re getting even more health benefits.
Are there risks to leveling up your walk?
According to McMullen, while most people will find walking a fairly easy way to get exercise, some of the “added-on” elements might be difficult. For example, if you have back or neck pain, you should be more cautious about wearing a weighted vest. And if you have knee arthritis, then something like ankle weights may not feel great.
“Generally, these things aren’t dangerous, they are probably fine things to try out, but be a little more cautious,” says McMullen.
Walk your way to community
When it comes to walking, it’s not just about the positive effects it can have on your body.
“Walking is a great way to connect with other people, so if you want to get into walking, look into walking groups, involve your friends and try to get outside,” he says. “Walking is great self-care.”
So, yes, the physical benefits of walking are undeniable, but the chance to spend time outside with family, friends and neighbors can be just as important.
