Whether you get enough or not, walking every day can lead to positive outcomes.
A study recently published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that diseases developed from sedentary lifestyles, such as diabetes and heart disease, can be fought off significantly from making just 2,200 steps a day. The results are even more effective if it goes up to 9,000 steps a day.
While yes, it is important to count, log and know how many steps you make a day, it’s not the complete picture. Medical News Today suggested that depending on your age, sex and workout goals, you may benefit more from the intensity of your walks — and not so much the count.
So what are some ways you can improve your next walk?
1. Walk outdoors
Depending on the weather, going outside and taking a stroll comes with multiple benefits.
WebMD stated that going out on a sunny day gives you vitamin D, which helps out with developing blood cells and absorbing minerals like phosphorus and calcium. Walking outside can also improve your sleep cycle and your ability to focus on tasks.
Keith Baar, a professor at the University of California, Davis, argued to The New York Times that since our tendons have been adjusted to walk on hard surfaces — like concrete — walking on softer surfaces such as dirt or gravel requires us to use more energy, therefore potentially burning more calories.
2. Carry weight
Whether it’s with hand weights, ankle weights, a weighted vest or backpack, walking while carrying extra weight is a great way to add intensity.
Two physical therapists shared to Healthline the following benefits of each type of weight — all of which help to burn calories:
- Ankle: Increases strength in calf muscles, hip flexors and quadriceps.
- Hand: Adds muscular endurance and can aid those affected by neurological conditions (stroke, Parkinson’s, etc.).
- Vest: Improves endurance, cardiovascular efficiency and bone density.
- Backpack: Engages your lower core.
However, be careful with how much weight you carry. It’s recommended to talk to your health care provider about what level of weights would be most appropriate.
3. Jog
Experts agree that between the choice of walking or jogging, jogging is typically better for health.
A 2015 study reported by Harvard Health revealed that those who lightly jogged for only an hour a week saw a significantly lower death rate than those who didn’t jog or jogged strenuously.
Dr. Sadiya Khan, a cardiologist at Northwestern Medicine, recommended when comfortable with walking faster to start jogging in 30-second intervals, slowing increasing the time intervals after, per The New York Times.
4. Walk uphill
Whether it’s outdoors or on a treadmill, simply increasing the incline helps to burn more — in less time.
According to Healthline, benefits of walking uphill or upwards include:
- Improvements in heart rate.
- Increases and activates strength in the posterior chain (gluteus and hamstrings) and lower-leg areas.
- Increases in calories burned, compared to flat walking.
The recent study found that walking with step counts over five miles led to less-than-satisfactory results. Because of this, it’s advised to add more intensity — but not too much — to achieve better results.
Khan shared to The New York Times to use the singing test while walking uphill: Put in enough effort to where you can’t sing a song, but can speak short sentences.
5. Just walk
How you walk can, of course, be effective, but the most important aspect is simply to walk.
Mayo Clinic said if you keep a consistent schedule and set real, attainable goals with walking, then you can reap more benefits than if you aren’t, or not getting enough steps in.
Amanda Paluch, a kinesiology professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, told The New York Times that something as simple as walking around your block can help out your health significantly — especially if you are older and/or have chronic conditions.