The impact of a 30-minute walk
Walking is one of the easiest, safest and most effective forms of exercise. And it doesn’t require any special skills or expensive equipment. It also has one of the lowest injury rates of any form of exercise.
Walking can improve your overall health and decrease your risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer or diabetes. Studies confirm numerous health benefits, including lower body mass index, lower blood pressure, lower fasting blood sugar and lower stress levels.
How much walking does it take to feel these health benefits? 30 minutes of moderate-intensity walking, five days per week. So lace up and get moving. The more you walk, the better.
Walk this way
- Walk as much as you can. Set a goal of 10,000 steps each day – that adds up to about 5 miles. Track your steps with a pedometer or fitness tracker.
- Pick up the pace. Studies show you can get more of a short walk if you do it faster. Aim for 100 steps per minute – about 2.5 to 3 miles per hour.
- Take walk breaks. Throughout the day, take a brisk walk of 10 minutes or more. This will reduce your sedentary time.
- Try intervals. Alternate between 30-second to 1-minute bursts of faster walking, followed by a few minutes of slower-paced recovery.
- Head for the hills. By increasing the intensity of your walk, you can get the equal benefit in half the time.
For more information, let your fingers do the walking to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.