We know that walking is one of the simplest, most accessible ways to boost our fitness and smash those daily movement goals, and there’s no doubt that more of us than ever are on board with the idea that a daily ramble works wonders for both mental and physical health.
You likely won’t need us to tell you why walking is so great, but in case you missed it, the myriad benefits of the humble stroll aren’t simply anecdotal; they’re supported by science, too.
There are numerous studies on how beneficial walking is for healthy ageing (check out this study, published in the journal GeroScience), preventing cardiovascular disease (as shown in this study, from the journal Current Opinion in Cardiology) and improving mental health outcomes (take a look at this study, published in the Current Psychology journal).
And now, new research from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has revealed that just 15 minutes of “fast” walking significantly boosts health outcomes. While this is excellent news for the time-poor among us (and that’s most of us, right now!), it got us thinking: how fast should we be walking, to get the most bang for our walking buck?
Keep scrolling for the expert-approved advice, but in the meantime, we have plenty of walking content for your enjoyment; check out our guides to the best 10-minute walking workouts, best indoor walking workouts, and benefits of walking workouts, here. Keen to know how to make your walks more effective? We’ve got you covered.
Walking is one of the easiest ways to boost fitness, but how fast should we really be walking for maximum benefits? We asked the experts for their take
Why is walking so good for us?
Walking is so good for us, it’s almost medicinal in quality, and it’s quite literally ingrained in our DNA. Evolutionarily speaking, we are designed to walk, and it’s one of our most basic movement patterns, as well as being something most of us do each and every day. As such, it’s one of the most underrated ways to improve fitness and health.
“Walking is one of those things that feels so ordinary that people often underestimate just how powerful it is,” notes personal trainer Monty Simmons. “The big win is how simple it is. No fancy kit, no gym, no learning curve. You can start right now; that’s why it’s such a powerful habit.”
In addition to the physical benefits (more on these, below), walking is brilliant for boosting mindset and mental health, too, as personal trainer and founder of Paola’s Body Barre, Paola Di Lanzo, explains.
“Walking is low-impact, accessible to almost everyone, and puts very little stress on the joints while still providing a whole-body benefit,” she tells MC UK. “Beyond the physical, it’s also great for mental health: getting outside, breathing fresh air, and moving your body can lower stress levels, improve mood, and help with better sleep.”
What are the benefits of walking?
At the risk of sounding repetitive, there are almost too many advantages to name when it comes to walking. We’re talking about:
- Improved cardiovascular health
- Stronger bones
- Increased muscle mass
- Boosted circulation
- Enhanced posture and balance
- Simplicity and accessibility
- Regulated blood sugar levels
- Lower risk of depression and anxiety
- Improved stamina and endurance
- Better mobility and flexibility
- Enhanced sleep.
How often should we be walking?
Although most of us will do at least some walking every day, if you’re looking to build on your fitness, strength and endurance, it’s worth giving your strolls a little more thought.
How much of it you do will largely depend on your individual fitness level and your personal goals. Whether you’re into counting your steps, working towards the NHS guideline of 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, or simply committed to moving more, walking is an excellent way to track your progress.
“The important thing is to build from where you are now,” advises Simmons. “If you’re averaging 3,000 steps a day, then aiming for 5,000 is a meaningful improvement. If you’re already hitting 6,000, pushing for 8,000 is a good challenge. Those little bumps are what make it sustainable and keep you progressing without it feeling overwhelming.”
For the majority of people, the experts agree that a balanced mix of a short walk every day alongside a longer walk at the weekends or on a day off is a decent (and realistic) goal.
How fast should we be walking to see results?
Now for the million-dollar question: how fast should we really be walking to bank those benefits? While any form of movement is good, what feels fast to one person might be a leisurely stroll for another – much will depend on your current fitness level and ability.
That being said, there are some general guidelines we can all follow to make sure we’re maximising the pros of our daily steps.
“While the pace of your walk does matter, it’s not just about chasing numbers; it’s about how it feels,” advises Simmons. “The easiest way to judge it is the talk test. If you can chat comfortably in full sentences, you’re at an easy pace. That’s great for getting started or for recovery days. If you can still talk, but it comes in shorter sentences, that’s brisk walking, and that’s the zone where most of the health benefits show up. If you’re really puffing and can only manage a few words, that’s vigorous, and while it can be useful in short bursts, it isn’t necessary for most people to see big improvements.”
Although it might sound a bit woolly, there are plenty of reasons that the talk test is a more reliable indicator of how hard your body is working than simply following metrics. “How fast you’re walking varies massively depending on your stride length, height, fitness and the terrain you’re on,” explains Simmons. “A tall person striding across flat pavement will hit a certain pace differently than a shorter person walking uphill. That’s why the talk test is far more reliable.”
In terms of intensity, again, this will vary from person to person. A good way to assess how hard you’re working is to use RPE, or rate of perceived exertion, and to aim for a moderate intensity.
“For a well-trained individual, fast walking is considered low intensity, but for an untrained individual, this might be moderate intensity,” notes Aaron Parsley, personal trainer and exercise physiologist at Hooke Fitness. “One way to know is to use a scale of perceived effort. If you consider a scale of one to 10, where one is doing nothing (standing still), and 10 is the hardest you could possibly work (think running until you’re so out of breath you’d have to stop). If you’re walking at a fast pace and you’re only feeling at a one to three, then this is low intensity; if you’re feeling around four to six, then this is moderate intensity.”
And don’t forget, however fit you are, in order to keep seeing gains, you’ll need to make sure you’re tapping into what’s known as progressive overload: essentially, as soon as your workouts start to feel easier, you level up.
“The idea is not to turn every walk into a workout, but to sprinkle in enough challenge that your heart, lungs, muscles and joints all keep adapting,” advises Simmons. “Over time, that’s where the benefits compound.”
Happy walking.
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Is walking on its own enough exercise to stay fit and healthy?
“While I would always recommend incorporating some form of strength training to your routine, walking is still a great way to improve heart health, help maintain a healthy weight and boost your mood,” says personal trainer at Gymshark, Alex Kirkup-Lee. “If walking is your only form of exercise, I would mix longer walks with shorter, faster-paced ones, with different inclines to give you the best of both worlds.
“Aim to complete daily walks that last from 30 to 60 minutes for the best results. If you don’t have access to a gym, I would recommend doing some bodyweight exercises at home and making use of resistance bands to supplement daily walks, for a well-rounded regimen.”