Walking has always been one of those forms of exercise that feels easy enough to fit into everyday life. Whether it’s the 10,000-step goal, a walk to work, extra laps around the office or a small stroll after dinner, it all adds up. But does it really count as exercise?
I often try to convince myself that I have hit my 10,000 steps simply through commuting, running errands or walking around the office. But I rarely set aside time specifically to walk as a workout, which makes me question: is walking enough exercise or does it need a little more to actually count as a workout? To understand how effective walking really is, how much you need and when it may be worth adding other forms of exercise, we asked experts to weigh in.
What are the benefits of walking?
Walking can be a strong foundation for cardiovascular health, particularly for people who are currently inactive. “It gets you moving, increases daily energy expenditure and when you gradually increase the pace, can provide a meaningful cardiovascular stimulus,” says Yash Vardhan Swami, founder and transformation coach at TrainedByYVS.
Walking can also be a useful tool for weight management. For someone looking to manage their weight, one of the biggest advantages of walking is that it allows you to increase your daily activity without being as demanding as higher intensity exercise.
There are benefits beyond simply getting your steps in, too. Walking after dinner or any meal can help with blood sugar management, while regular movement supports circulation and can help you feel more energised. It also works the muscles in your legs and helps keep your joints moving.
How much walking do you need for it to count as exercise?
For a beginner, working towards around 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day can be a practical starting point, but how you walk matters, too. “Increasing your pace and moving towards a brisk walk can make the activity more challenging and provide a stronger cardiovascular stimulus,” suggests Swami.
The important thing is not to become fixated on constantly increasing your step count. As your fitness improves, you can make your walks more challenging rather than simply walking for longer.
How can you tell if your walking is providing enough exercise?
One way to tell is by paying attention to how your usual walk feels. “If the same walk that once felt challenging now feels completely effortless, your body has probably adapted,” explains Swami.
That doesn’t mean your walk has suddenly stopped being useful. It simply means your body may need a new stimulus to continue progressing. You could increase your pace, add an incline or introduce another form of exercise rather than chasing a higher step count.
For someone who already walks a lot, dedicated workouts can also help fill the gaps that walking alone may not address, particularly when it comes to strength and more challenging cardiovascular exercise.
Is walking enough exercise?
“Walking is one of the best habits you can have, but it shouldn’t be your entire fitness routine. It doesn’t give most people enough resistance to significantly improve strength or muscle and it won’t challenge mobility or cardiovascular capacity in the same way other forms of training can,” explains Vinay B, celebrity wellness coach and founder of BODIQO. He talks about how he tells his clients to think of walking as the floor, not the ceiling. Pair it with two to three strength sessions a week and some mobility work and you’ve covered your bases. A good fitness routine should leave you stronger, more mobile and more capable, not simply more active.
If you are currently doing very little exercise, walking can be good to get started. Even a leisurely walk is better than being completely inactive and building a habit of moving regularly can make exercise feel far more achievable.
So while walking can form the foundation of your routine, adding other types of movement can make it more well-rounded. Strength training, jogging, Pilates or a sport can each challenge your body in ways that walking does not.
Do your everyday steps count as exercise?
This is where my own 10,000-step dilemma comes in. Walking to the office, moving around at work or taking the stairs all contribute to your overall activity and are certainly better than spending the entire day sitting down. But they may not provide the same stimulus as deliberately setting aside time for a walk.
Short walks throughout the day are often slower and broken up by periods of sitting or standing. A dedicated walk on the other hand, gives you the opportunity to maintain a consistent pace and increase the intensity if you want more of a cardiovascular challenge.
That doesn’t make your everyday steps pointless. They still contribute to your overall movement and energy expenditure. The difference is that incidental movement and dedicated exercise can serve slightly different purposes.
When might walking not be enough?
If your goal is to build muscle, improve strength, enhance athletic performance or significantly change your body composition, walking alone is unlikely to provide everything you need, says Vinay.
The same applies to people who may benefit from more targeted movement. Individuals over the age of 40 can be more prone to losing muscle mass, while anyone recovering from an injury may need exercises designed specifically around their recovery. For someone with a desk job and tight hips or hamstrings, walking may also not address everything that comes with sitting for long periods. “For them, 15 to 20 minutes of strength or mobility on the same days, not as a separate project, just stacked onto the walk,” Vinay suggests. “The goal is one habit that does two jobs.”
What is the biggest misconception about walking as exercise?
The biggest misconception is that more steps automatically mean better results. “Everyone thinks more steps equals more results, so they chase 15 to 20k a day and burn out on it,” says Vinay.
Instead of constantly increasing your step count, he suggests focusing on how challenging your walks are. Adding an incline, walking faster for short bursts or carrying a light backpack can all make a familiar walk more demanding.
“I have learned that consistency beats intensity every single time. It’s not about how hard you push once. It’s about the system you can repeat. Ten thousand smart steps beat twenty thousand flat, slow ones every time,” he says.
