Walking isn’t just a way to get from point A to point B. It’s also one of the best activities we can do for our health, especially as we age.
It’s free, accessible, low impact and you can do it anywhere.
“Walking is a great way to improve your fitness, even if you’re starting from scratch,” orthopedic surgeon Dr. Vonda Wright tells TODAY.com.
Contrary to popular belief, walking can be a good workout. And science shows it can also increase longevity.
However, if your walks seem too easy, it may be time to change your routine and increase the intensity.
Here are Wright’s favorite ways to make walking more challenging in order to reap more benefits and promote healthy aging:
Fitness tip of the day: increase the duration, speed, weight or incline of your walk
If you’re just starting a walking routine, “get off the couch and take a walk, (ideally) after your biggest meal,” says Wright.
Try walking at a moderate-intensity pace for at least 30 minutes, about five days a week.
“When it becomes easy, we should gradually overload our walking,” says Wright. This means increasing the intensity of walking to make it more demanding on the body.
You can do this in several ways, Wright explains:
- Walk longer or a longer distance.
- Walk at a faster speed.
- Walk on an incline.
- Add weight to your walks.
Why it matters
Walking alone is a good form of aerobic exercise and a great way to promote longevity.
Research shows that walking as little as 11 minutes a day can reduce the risk of chronic disease and extend your life expectancy, TODAY.com previously reported.
However, using the principle of progressive overload can turn your walking into a more challenging workout with more benefits, including endurance, strength and longevity.
Progressive overload means gradually increasing the duration, weight, or intensity of a workout to challenge the body.
Walking for a longer duration or distance, for example, will help the body shift into exercise mode and burn more calories, TODAY.com previously reported. In the long term, this could reduce the risk of death from all causes and increase longevity, studies show.
To increase your walking speed, your heart has to pump faster and your lungs work harder. Over time, going faster can improve endurance and cardiovascular health.
Adding weight puts more stress on the body and challenges the muscles, forcing them to adapt by becoming stronger and bigger. Increasing resistance or impact can also help improve or maintain bone density, which is essential for healthy aging.
How to get started
If you’re new to walking or fitness, Wright recommends working up to your desired time. “Start with five minutes, then 10 minutes and work up to 30 minutes,” she says.
Once you’ve settled into a comfortable 30-minute walking routine, Wright recommends changing one variable at a time to make your walking more challenging. Once you’ve adapted, change another variable and continue this process.
Here are some examples to get you started:
- Try walking an extra 10 minutes or 1,000 extra steps.
- Increase your pace to a brisk walk (3 to 4 mph) or try the interval walking method.
- Wear a 20-pound weighted vest, carry light dumbbells, or use ankle weights.
- Climb hills outside or increase the incline on a treadmill.
Always consult your doctor before changing your exercise routine, especially if you have underlying health conditions or previous injuries.
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