Walking workouts offer different methods to improve your fitness and manage your weight. Routines include adding hills and weights to your daily steps.

1. 10,000+ Steps a Day

"From a purely physiological standpoint, walking raises your heart rate and burns calories," David Kirsch, a celebrity trainer, told Health. "It's also a great way to increase your mind-body connection, focus on your breath, spend time in nature, meditate, and de-stress."

For beginners, focus on gradually reaching 10,000 steps daily, a common target on fitness trackers. These 10,000 steps help keep your heart healthy and manage weight. After mastering this, try challenging yourself to reach 15,000-25,000 steps each day.

"Ten thousand should become the bare minimum," said Kirsch. To amp up the intensity of your walks, try a hilly landscape or wear two-to three-pound ankle and hand weights.

Incorporating toning exercises every few minutes, like jumping jacks, walking lunges, squats, or squat jumps, can also help. Adding these moves in intervals will help you build muscle, improve heart health, and increase endurance.1

"Walking is so good for you," said Kirsch. "It's a great start and supplement to any wellness program."

2. Walk 30 Minutes Per Day

"Walking is one of the best tools for weight maintenance," Amy Rothberg, MD, an endocrinologist and clinical professor of internal medicine in the division of metabolism, endocrinology, and diabetes at the University of Michigan, told Health. "It's aerobic, it engages some of the biggest muscles, and it's feasible for most people."

"Walking for at least 30 minutes per day, five days a week, helps maintain a healthy weight," said Dr. Rothberg. You do not have to log a half hour simultaneously. "You can do your 30 minutes in 10-minute bouts throughout the day."

Walking in short bursts might be more beneficial than a continuous 30-minute walk. Short, vigorous activities can boost your fitness level, while low-intensity exercises like brisk walking help burn stored fat.2

Walking in intervals provides confidence boosts to keep you motivated.

"Whether it's parking farther away or walking to meet a colleague, you get a sense of accomplishment," said Dr. Rothberg. "It's these little successes that end up establishing good habits."

3. Walk/Jog for 10+ Minutes

"Adding running intervals to your walks can help you burn more calories," Jeff Galloway, a running coach, told Health. "Plus, easing into running like that allows you to build up your distance while avoiding injury."

Begin by jogging for 5-10 seconds per minute for 10 minutes, gradually increasing to 30 minutes. Once you reach this goal, extend your jogging periods until you jog for 30 seconds per minute for 30 minutes.

"Eventually, you can build up to short walk breaks. For example, walk for 30 seconds, then run for 60 seconds. That method can help you train for a 5K or even longer race," said Galloway. 

"If you're a regular runner with a 10-minute mile average, alternate 90 seconds of running with 30 seconds of walking," said Galloway. "If you average a 12-minute mile, try alternating 60 seconds of running and 30 seconds of walking."

Other Ways You Can Get More Steps

Besides these methods, try other techniques to keep walking interesting:3

• Switch up your pace.
• Walk at an incline in a gym, or add elevations like hills or stairs to your route.
• Walk outdoors.
• Ask a friend to join you.
• Listen to music.
• Try a walking meditation.
• Keep track of your progress.

What Does Walking Do for Your Health?

Walking is a simple way to add movement to your routine. Studies suggest that walking at a steady pace may reduce certain health risks, similar to running.45

Walking can:5

• Decrease the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers
• Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels
• Improve sleep
• Boost energy
• Decrease the risk of mental health conditions

Taking a quick five-minute walk every thirty minutes may improve metabolic health (how the body burns energy from food and drinks), lower blood sugar levels, and blood pressure.6 Walking with groups may also improve quality of life and lower the risk of depression.7

Additionally, walking is good for weight management. A 2017 study found that a 12-week moderate-intensity walking program decreased belly fat in women with obesity or a higher weight than discussed with their doctor.

The program also increased maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), the highest amount of oxygen a person can use during exercise. Knowing your V02 max can determine your fitness level.89