Walking: health benefits

In this Article (Index)

The positive effects of walking on your health and life quality.

• Walking lowers risk of mortality
• How many steps per day?
• How does Walking improve your health?
• Detail of the health benefits of walking
• Improves Cardiovascular health, lowers Stroke Risk
• Reduces Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Dementia
• Cancer
• Respiratory Health
• Sleep
• Bone Health
• The Risks of Walking
• Pace (Speed) or Distance?
• Start Walking: First Steps
• Closing Comments

Walking lowers risk of mortality

A study conducted in 2022 reviewed previous research using sharp statistical tools, a technique called meta-analyisis, and sifted through data covering over 47,000 adults in Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia finding that walking had a positive impact on mortality, increasing lifespan (longevity).

Mortality as a medical term means death rate, the number of deaths in a given population as a percentage value.

The authors found that: "Compared with adults in the lowest steps per day quartile, adults in the highest steps per day quartile had a 40% to 53% lower risk of mortality. Taking more steps per day was associated with a progressively lower risk of all-cause mortality."

In plain English this means that those who walked the most reduced their risk of death in comparison to those in the same group, who walked the least, by 40 to 50%. Roughly halving it. (1)

How Many Steps per day?

This study found that for those aged 60 and older, walking more steps meant a lower risk, and that this risk was progressively lower as the number of steps grew. However, it reached a ceiling of around 6,000 to 8,000 steps per day, beyond which walking more didn't have any additional impact on mortality.

For those younger than 60 years, the ceiling was 8,000 to 10,000 steps.

Walking above those limits could actually increase the risk of mortality, however, the evidence was inconsistent and requires further research.

How does Walking improve your health?

Walking has physical and psychological effects. It is a low impact, enjoyable physical activity that improves the feeling of wellness. This can promote the release of endorphins, mood enhancing chemicals, by the brain. Endorphins reduce stress, and increase emotional wellbeing. (3). Being outdoors has health benefits; so walking in a park, immersed in Nature has a positive effect on mental and physical health.

Stress is linked to many diseases including cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) it is also linked to mental health issues.

The heart protecting benefits of walking may also be influenced by the fact that people who walk are often more active in other fields, and may also engage in other physical activity that has a protective effect, reducing the risk of CVD. (2)

Detail of the health benefits of walking

In this section we summarize the positive health effects of walking.

• Improves Cardiovascular health, lowers Stroke Risk
• Reduces Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Dementia
• Cancer
• Respiratory Health
• Sleep
• Bone Health

Improves Cardiovascular health, lowers Stroke Risk

The data form the UK Biobank from 363,137 participants, both men and women, of the UK Biobank were used to evaluate the link between self-reported walking pace and stroke incidence. The subjects were followed up for an average 6.1 years. (4)

This study found that:

• Slow walking pace was associated with a higher hazard for stroke incidence (hazard ratio 1.45).
• This effect was noticeable among those aged 65 or over, but didn't affect those younger than 65.
• Overweight and obese persons had a higher stroke risk than normal-weight subjects.

Walking Reduces Hypertension

Another study followed 15,357 subjects over almost 11 years to evaluate the protective effects of walking, and its impact on hypertension risk.

It compared the risk of high blood pressure in those walking at different paces: slow, normal, brisk and very brisk.

The authors found that "Participants who walked at a very brisk pace... had a substantially lower risk of developing hypertension during follow-up than those who walked at a slow pace". The same effect was noticed for those walking at normal and brisk paces.
The effect was also independent of the total time spent walking. (5)

Diabetes

A 2022 study also used UK Biobank data involving over 162,000 subjects followed up for almost 7.5 years on average; the authors were looking into the effects of walking and physical activity on type-2 Diabetes or T2D.

They found that "average walking pace (hazard ratio [HR], 1.28) and slow walking pace (HR, 1.91) were associated with a higher T2D risk compared with brisk walking," among both men and women. (6).

Dementia and Walking

A meta-analysis involving almost 24,000 participants found that the risk of dementia and cognitive decline increases for those walking at a slower pace. (7)

Slow or decreased walking pace is significantly associated with elevated risk of cognitive decline and dementia in elderly populations...
With every 1 dm/s (360 m/h) decrement in walking pace, the risk of dementia was increased by 13% Quan M, et al. (2017) (7)

Cancer

A British study conducted in 2018 involving over 50,000 walkers found that "increasing walking pace could reduce risk for all-cause and CVD mortality,"(8) this is in agreement with the study mentioned further up.

However the authors found no evidence that an average or fast pace produced any significant risk reduction in cancer mortality. They acknowledge that other studies like Batty et al. and Yates et al. reported a 20% reduction in cancer mortality for walking fast, but they didn't notice this effect. They suggest that "volume" walked may be more important than pace; and that each cancer has its own relationship with physical activity.

Respiratory Health

Aging societies are at more risk of pneumonia-related deaths. This study (9) conducted in Japan analyzed the Municipal health data from 132.448 people aged 65 and over, following them for an average of 3.4 years. They ound that daily walking has a significant beneficial association with pneumonia-related mortality.

"daily walking (1 hour/day) could reduce pneumonia-related mortality among older people who lacked other exercise habits" with a reduction of up to 42% in death risk; "daily walking alone is sufficient to reduce pneumonia-related mortality among older people who do not regularly engage in other exercise habits."

Sleep benefits

A small scale study involving 59 subjects evaluated the impact of walking on sleep quality. It found that the amount of minutes spent on physical activity were positively associated to sleep quality but not to its duration. Subjects slept better, but didn't sleep longer.

As expected, participants reported that they had better sleep quality and duration on the days they were more active than average. The authors conclude that " low-impact PA [like walking] is positively related to sleep, more so in women than men."(10)

Bone health

Although several studies have shown that regular physical activity and exercise have a positive effect on bone health (increasing bone mineral density, reducing the risk of fractures, and bone loss), the evidence on the impact walking has on bone health is inconclusive.

So, even though walking may have a positive effect, you should consider adding other types of exercise to reinforce the positive bone-health outcomes. (1)

The Risks of Walking

Read this before you start

Although walking is considered a low to moderate-intensity physical activity it has some risks such as getting hurt from falling, which may occur among people with balance issues, and calf injuries that are more frequent among older people or those with a history of previous calf strains. (11)

As with any new physical activity, before participating in any diet or exercise program, such as walking, or using any diet or fitness products or services that may be described on or through Fit-and-Well.com, we strongly recommend that you consult with a physician or other healthcare provider.

Not all exercise programs are suitable for everyone, and some programs may result in injury.

Our Fitness and Wellness Content should not be used instead of professional advice given by qualified medical professionals such as your doctor or registered dietitian, or other Professional Care Provider.

Our Fitness and Wellness Content should only be used under qualified medical guidance. If you know or suspect that you may be pregnant, have an eating disorder, have diabetes, or have any other physical, psychological, emotional, or medical condition, seek the immediate advice of your doctor or before using our Fitness or Wellness Content.

Should you experience any discomfort or pain during an activity suggested in our Fitness or Wellness Content: such as a diet, walking, or an exercise routine, you must immediately cease the activity and seek the assistance of a physician or other applicable Professional Care Provider.

Pace (Speed) or Distance?

The physical activity recommendations are at least 150 minutes weekly of moderate-intensity PA.

Walking is a moderate-intensity activity so you should try to walk 5 days a week during 30 minutes. The pace you walk at will regulate the intensity of the activity. The minimum daily goal during these 30 minutes should be 3,000 steps. (1), (2)

As mentioned further up, 6,000 to 8,000 steps per day are best for those over 60, and 8,000 to 10,000 steps for those under 60 years of age.

3,000 steps in 30 minutes (or 100 steps⁄m) is a pace of 2.6 mph or 4.2 km⁄h.

Literature confirms that this is the optimal pace; 100 steps per minute and is considered "fast enough... during sustained and rhythmic ambulatory behaviour." (12).

Start Walking: First Steps

Some tips on how to start your walking program. (13)

Walking Gear

Get some comfortable sports shoes. They should have a flexible sole that supports your arch and cushions your heel. It should have a good grip on slippery ground.

Socks. They will help keep your feet comfy, absorb pespiration and reduce rub against the shoes.

Wear loose-fitting clothes that protect you from the weather (rain, wind, cold).

Consider wearing a hat or cap, and sunglasses as well as a sunscreen to protect you from the sun.

Where can you walk

Chose a safe spot for your walking. You can walk in your neighborhood, in parks, sports-tracks, and in a mall both indoors and outdoors, or even a local airport.

If you have concerns about solitary venues, avoid them. Choose well lit areas for walking during the dark.

Walking Tips

Walk with your back straight, shoulders slightly back and relaxed, walk with a rythmic stride. Your arms should swing by your side. When your strength has grown you can take longer strides.

Gauge the intensity by how easy it is to talk while you walk. If it is easy, your pace is casual. If you can't speak, you are walking too fast. If your speech is halting, the pace is brisk.

You can walk daily in one long bout, but you can also do it in several shorter bouts depending on how much time you have available.

Start slowly and build up your stamina, endurance and strength. Warm up at the beginning of your walk by using a slower pace. Cool off at the end of your walk by doing the same. Stretch after you have finished your daily walk.

Carry a bottle of water, specially in hot weather to avoid Dehydration

Make Walking Fun!

Walking shouldn't be boring. You can take different routes, walk along different grades (flat, uphill, downhill). Walk at different speeds. Go walking with your partner or friends. You can talk and socialize while walking.
Take your phone and listen to a podcast, or music while you walk.

Keep track of your walking program with an app to measure your progress. This will keep you motivated.

If the weather is wet, too hot, or too cold, go to the mall and walk there, indoors.

Calculate how many calories you have burned using our Calculator: the energy you burn walking.

Closing Comments

Walking is an easy exercise that can be done anywhere, with very low risks and plenty of health benefits. You can use it to improve your life quality and also as part of your weight loss program.