First, let’s get one thing straight: Walking is exercise. It’s a legit form of cardio that has the potential to get your heart rate up, taps into steady-state zone 2 training, and counts as physical activity by any standard definition. (Hey, race walking is even a sport!)
But if walking is the only form of exercise you’re doing each week, could you be missing out on key benefits of other types of fitness? While walking is often touted as one of the most accessible forms of exercise—and rightfully so—it’s worth asking: Is it enough on its own? If your daily strolls are your main (or only) form of movement, you’re definitely doing your body a favor.
The short of it: To truly support strength, metabolism, and long-term health, experts say walking shouldn’t be your one-and-done form of fitness. Here’s what they recommend for optimal well-being.
Meet the expert: Bradee Felton, CPT, is a personal trainer, holistic health coach, and founder of Fit for Hiking and the Mountain Metabolic Method digital workout programs.
Is walking every day really enough exercise?
Walking every day is an awesome way to up your daily movement and reap the health benefits, but it’s likely not quite enough. In addition to daily or weekly walks, it’s a good idea to incorporate two to three days of resistance training each week, Bradee Felton, CPT, personal trainer and holistic health coach, previously told WH.
“It really doesn’t need to be much more than two to three days of resistance training to maintain muscle mass and keep your total daily energy expenditure in check,” she says. “The general population should be performing some form of resistance training each week to prevent muscle mass loss, which contributes to a slower metabolism, lower bone density, less strength in daily activity, and faster aging.”
Walking is also a vastly different stimulus than a typical strength or HIIT workout, so it’s not really fair to compare the two, says Felton. “Walking increases your non-exercise energy expenditure, but it won’t increase muscle mass as well as lifting weights, which is why doing both each week is recommended.”
Talene Appleton is the fitness editor at Women’s Health, where she nerds out over all things fitness, nutrition, and wellness. She was previously the fitness and commerce editor at Men’s Health, where she tested and reported on the newest, buzziest fitness and wellness products to hit the market. As a NASM-certified personal trainer and Precision Nutrition-certified nutrition coach, she is passionate about supporting women at the intersections of fitness, food, and community. Talene was on the George Washington University college dance team (shout out First Ladies) before moving on to become an NBA dancer for the Washington Wizards—you can still catch her at dance classes across New York and LA in her free time. Before entering journalism full-time, Talene was a private chef for four years and still enjoys cooking for and hosting friends and family regularly.
Andi Breitowich is a Chicago-based writer and graduate student at Northwestern Medill. She’s a mass consumer of social media and cares about women’s rights, holistic wellness, and non-stigmatizing reproductive care. As a former collegiate pole vaulter, she has a love for all things fitness and is currently obsessed with Peloton Tread workouts and hot yoga.
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