“Not many people recognize walking as a real workout. Perhaps it’s too easy, too common, too enjoyable, or too relaxing to be considered a serious form of exercise,” says Michael Lam MD, MPH, ABAAM, a physician specializing in nutrition and healthy aging. “[But] in fact, the best thing about this delightful activity is that it’s one of the easiest exercises you can do on a consistent basis.” The challenge, however, is making walking (or consistent movement in general) a regular part of your daily routine. “Many health coaches, doctors, and fitness trainers will tell you that the best form of exercise is one you’ll actually maintain,” Dr. Lam says. To learn how to commit to walking 30 minutes (or more!) each and every day, we’ve asked medical experts to explain why making walking a daily priority is good for your entire body—and how to make a habit of it.
Daily Walking Benefits
Plus, daily walking can help you maintain healthy weight, metabolism, blood pressure, and blood cholesterol, all of which help keep your heart healthy. Even if you can’t commit to 30 minutes per day, evidence shows that even a small amount of walking is better than none when it comes to our hearts (yes, vigorous vacuuming, playing with the kids, walking the dog, and going on that long grocery run all count!). Walking truly does make you feel good. A 2018 study found that even single, brief 10-minute bouts of walking improved the mood state of participants. “Being active impacts the way that our brain processes neurotransmitters like dopamine,” explains clinical psychologist Allison Grupski, PhD, vice president of behavior change strategies and coaching at WeightWatchers. “It has an immediate impact.” RELATED: 5 Things That Happen to Your Mental Health When You Don’t Get Enough Exercise A second study discovered that even walking at a brisk pace for just 2.5 hours per week was associated with a significantly lower risk of depression, compared with adults who don’t exercise. “Depression affects millions of people globally and is a leading cause of disability worldwide,” says Brian Shinkle, DO, the medical director at Pivot Onsite Innovations and Pivot Occupational Health who specializes in occupational medicine. “Data has long shown the benefits of exercise on reducing depression.” RELATED: If You Want to Boost Your Immune System, Adopt These 7 Healthy Habits Right Now Grupski says the first step to making walking a habit is to forget about keeping score. “We tend to get caught up in numbers,” she says. “Those numbers can feel really daunting and actually get in the way of taking the first step.” Instead, she encourages people to do what they can in the moment, whether that’s three minutes of walking a few times a day or 30 minutes all at once. These are some simple tricks Dr. Grupski recommends to sneak in extra steps. It’s a process called piggybacking or habit stacking—tying new behaviors to familiar ones we already do.
Take the stairs instead of the elevatorPark further away when running errandsWalk around the house while your coffee brewsTake a “walking meeting” instead of sitting at your deskWalk around the field during the kids’ sports practice
Whether you walk in segments or all at once, making walking a regular habit will help it become second-nature. “The more we do something regularly, the more likely we are to keep it up,” Dr. Grupski says. “Repetition is key when it comes to habit development.”
