How far do you have to walk to live longer? It’s no secret that walking means good health. Celebrity trainers like Harley Pasternak tout the benefits of walking every day, and plenty of research supports adopting this health habit.
A study by the London School of Economics and health and wellness platform Vitality Global analyzed data from 1 million people and found that 5,000 steps taken three times a week for two years can add up to three years a person’s life expectancy.
What all the research says about walking
Research supports walking to reduce the risk of serious health conditions. A 2021 JAMA Network Open study analyzed data from 2,110 adults over about 11 years and found that those who took at least 7,000 steps daily had a 50 to 70 percent lower risk of dying earlier , compared to people who took fewer steps daily.
A meta-analysis of 196 scientific articles published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2023 found that people who did moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking for 11 minutes a day, had a reduced risk of developing heart disease, stroke and several forms of cancer.
Two studies published in JAMA Neurology and JAMA Internal Medicine in 2022 found that walking for at least 30 minutes a day is best for health.
Research also noted that for every 2,000 steps a person took, the risk of heart disease, cancer and premature death decreased by 10%. The benefit peaked after 10,000 steps.
There was also a nearly 50% lower risk of dementia in people who walked just under 10,000 steps a day.
Is walking a good workout?
In general, trainers say that walking can be a good form of exercise if you approach it the right way. “There are some great things about walking as a form of exercise,” says Albert Matheny, co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab.
Walking does not require any specialized equipment, he points out. In addition, walking is also good for bone health, which is especially important as you age.
“It’s a useful exercise that helps increase bone density,” says Matheny.
Allocate more time for daily walks
Taking any steps is better than doing nothing, Matheny says. But if you want walking to be a workout, there are a few things you can do to speed things up.
Allow more time for walks. If you already walk during the day, it’s important to do more to see the fitness benefits, says personal trainer Doug Sklar.
“Walking can be useful as a form of exercise if it puts the body through a stress it’s not normally used to,” he says.
“If you’re already walking to work every day—which is great—your body has adapted to that pace and distance.”
When you set aside time for exercise, it should be different from the walking you do the rest of the day, Sklar says.
“You can either increase the distance or increase the intensity,” he says.
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise, along with several days of muscle-strengthening activities.
Moderate-intensity exercise includes walking, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but that means you need to move faster than you do every day.
Daily goal, 5000 steps
As for the set goal, Matheny says it depends. “There is no magic number,” he says. He recommends aiming for 5,000 steps to start with.
Change the terrain. “Changing terrain—walking on sand, grass, or even a mountain trail can make walking more difficult,” says Crockett.
If you’re a treadmill fan, he recommends going outside half the time.
“Try to mix up how you move,” Matheny says.
Challenge your body! Whether you hit the treadmill or the road, experts say it’s important to challenge yourself as you walk to improve your condition, Theflowspace notes.
“Gradual increases in speed and/or incline will allow you to monitor your progress and constantly improve,” says Sklar.
