Walking
What Is the Walking?
Walking is a cardio exercise that improves cardiovascular endurance and overall fitness. It is considered a beginner-level activity, depending on intensity and personal capabilities, and it is the most accessible form of aerobic training there is. It needs no equipment beyond a good pair of shoes, can be done almost anywhere, and scales easily from a gentle stroll to a brisk pace that gets the heart and lungs working.
Brisk walking is the standard example of moderate-intensity activity in public health guidelines, and both the ACSM and the CDC use it to show how adults can reach the recommended 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, either in one walk a day or in shorter bouts that add up. Trainers use it for general conditioning, for low-impact recovery days between harder sessions, as a warm-up or cool-down, and to raise everyday activity for clients who sit most of the day, often by setting a daily step target alongside planned workouts.
Every step is a short single-leg effort. The calves push the body forward at the end of each stance, the gluteus medius keeps the pelvis level while the other foot is off the ground, the quadriceps absorb each landing, and the glutes and hamstrings extend the hip and slow the swinging leg, while the tibialis anterior on the front of the shin lowers the forefoot after the heel lands. A faster pace and a more vigorous arm swing raise the effort, and hills add more work for the glutes and calves. Treadmill Walking and Treadmill Incline Walking keep the same pattern indoors at a set speed and grade, while Running adds a flight phase and much higher impact.
Walking suits almost everyone, from beginners and older adults to trained athletes on easy days, and it is the usual starting point for clients who are new to exercise or returning after a layoff. Anyone who cannot yet walk comfortably for 10 minutes can start with shorter bouts spread through the day, or with Marching in Place indoors. Building the calves with the Bodyweight Calf Raise and the hips with the Glute Bridge helps longer and faster walks feel easier.
Muscles Worked
- Gastrocnemius (Medial Head)
- Primary
- Soleus
- Primary
- Gluteus Medius
- High
- Vastus Lateralis
- High
- Vastus Medialis
- High
- Biceps Femoris
- Medium
- Gluteus Maximus
- Medium
- Tibialis Anterior
- Medium
Instructions
- Stand tall with your head up, eyes on the path a few steps ahead, shoulders relaxed and arms hanging loosely at your sides.
- Step forward with one leg and land lightly on the heel, with the foot pointing straight ahead and landing just in front of your body rather than far out in front.
- Roll through the foot from heel to toe as your body moves over it.
- Push off from the ball of the foot and the toes of the back leg as it leaves the ground and swings forward.
- Let each arm swing forward with the opposite leg, moving forward and back from the shoulder rather than across the body.
- Keep the trunk upright and the pelvis level, without slouching or leaning forward from the waist.
- Walk at an easy pace for about 5 minutes, then pick up to a brisk pace where you breathe harder and can still talk but not sing.
- Breathe steadily throughout, and slow back to an easy pace for the last 5 minutes before you stop.
Common Mistakes
Overstriding
Reaching the front foot far ahead of the body to go faster makes the heel land hard and brakes every step, so take shorter, quicker steps instead.
Looking down
Watching the feet or a phone rounds the upper back and strains the neck, so keep the chin level and the eyes on the path a few steps ahead.
Stiff or crossing arms
Holding the arms still or swinging them across the body throws off rhythm and balance, so let them swing forward and back in opposition to the legs.
Slouching or leaning forward
Hunching the shoulders or bending forward from the waist loads the lower back and shortens the stride, so stand tall with the ribs stacked over the hips.
Doing too much too soon
Jumping straight into long or daily walks after a period of inactivity is the most common route to shin, heel and Achilles pain, so build up time gradually.
Strolling too slowly for conditioning
An easy stroll is good movement but rarely reaches moderate intensity, so walk briskly enough that you can talk but not sing when the goal is fitness.
Injuries
Walking is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. It is low impact and carries far less injury risk than running. The problems that do show up are mostly overuse from doing too much too soon: shin pain, irritation of the plantar fascia under the heel or arch, Achilles soreness and blisters, plus knee or hip aches on long downhill stretches or uneven ground. Outdoors, trips and falls on curbs, ice and rough trails are the other main risk.
Wear well-fitted walking shoes with a flexible sole, good arch support and heel cushioning, and replace them once the soles wear unevenly. Start each walk at an easy pace for about five minutes before speeding up, and slow down again for the last five. If you are new to exercise, begin with 10 to 15 minutes at a time and add time or distance by no more than about 20 percent every two weeks. Watch the path rather than a phone, and wear light-colored or reflective clothing at dawn, at dusk and after dark.
To make it easier, slow down, choose flat and even paths, or split the time into shorter walks, and use Marching in Place when going outside is not practical. To make it harder, build time and distance first, then add a faster pace and hills, or move on to Treadmill Incline Walking or Running. Stop and get checked if you feel chest pain or pressure, unusual breathlessness, dizziness, or sharp or worsening pain in the foot, shin, knee or hip. Anyone with a heart condition, or anyone over 40 who has been inactive, should check with a doctor before stepping up their walking.
- Primary Focus
- Cardio
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Modality
- Cardio
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Alternative Exercises
Other Names for the Walking
The Walking is also known as:
- Brisk Walking
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How many steps a day should I aim for?
There is no magic number, and 10,000 steps is a popular target rather than a cut-off. A pooled analysis of 15 cohorts with more than 47,000 adults found that more daily steps went with a steadily lower risk of death, leveling off at about 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day for adults 60 and older and 8,000 to 10,000 for younger adults. If you are well below that, adding about 1,000 steps a day every two weeks is a manageable way to build up.
- Q: How fast is brisk walking?
Brisk walking is usually around 3 to 4 miles per hour, a pace where you breathe harder and can talk but not sing. In a lab study of 174 adults aged 41 to 85, walking at 100 steps per minute or faster correctly identified moderate-intensity walking about three times in four, so counting your steps for 15 seconds and multiplying by four gives a useful rough check.
- Q: Is walking as good as running?
For general health, regular brisk walking delivers many of the same benefits as running with far less impact and a lower injury risk. Running burns more energy per minute and builds aerobic fitness faster, so walking takes more time to do the same amount of work.
- Q: Can walking help with weight loss?
Yes, as part of a plan that also manages diet. The ACSM suggests 250 minutes or more of moderate activity a week for weight loss, and brisk walking is one of the easiest ways for most people to reach that.
- Q: Is one long walk better than several short ones?
Both count toward the weekly target, since health guidelines allow walking in one session a day or in shorter bouts spread through the day. Choose whichever you will keep doing, and add a longer walk now and then if you are building endurance for hikes or long days on your feet.