Walking means more than transportation.

Gear Up

Shoes are the most important part of your walking gear. Good walking shoes are generally flat, but flexible, so your foot rolls with each step. They should fit well, but leave enough room for your feet to spread out while walking. Wear socks that are comfortable. Try socks made of cotton or other sweat-wicking materials—they will keep your feet drier and help prevent blisters. Running shoes are okay to use for walking. Don’t forget to trade in the old shoes when the treads start wearing out—which is about 500 miles. Whew!

Wear comfortable clothing when walking. Try to dress in layers, so you can always take off something as you warm up. Layering with a t-shirt, sweatshirt, or windproof jacket is a good idea if it’s windy or chilly outside.

Two other essentials: sunscreen and a hat. The sunscreen protects your skin from the sun. In the summer, a hat keeps the sun out of your face, and in the winter it helps to keep you warm by trapping the heat that is lost from the top of your head. A bright colored hat will also make it easy for drivers to see and avoid you. Need to learn more about sun protection? Read here for more info!

Play it Safe

Before you walk out the door, talk about the best walking routes with your parents so you know your safety zones and how to avoid traffic. And, only walk in those areas so your parents will know where you are.

It’s always best to walk where you can avoid traffic—like parks or even the mall! Or try to find an area where there are sidewalks. If you have to walk on a street without sidewalks, walk close to the curb facing traffic. Remember to cross the street only at marked crosswalks or at corners, keep your ears and eyes open, and watch out for traffic in front and back of you. Wear bright-colored clothing or reflectors so drivers can see you. If you are walking alone, don’t wear headphones—if they are too loud, they can keep you from hearing any oncoming traffic.

Water, water, water. It’s a good idea to drink some water before you head out to walk, while you are walking, and when you get back—even if it’s cold outside or you don’t feel thirsty. In the summer, late afternoons (not nights) and mornings are the best times to walk to avoid the midday heat and humidity. To find out more about staying cool, click here.

It is best to warm up your muscles before stretching them. So warm up for 5 minutes at an easy walking pace before stretching. Then stretch by starting at the top of your body and working your way down. Make sure to cool down and stretch after your walk too!

Remember—start out slowly and gradually increase the speed and distance you walk—don’t try walking a marathon your first time out! And no matter where you are walking, be aware of what is going on around you.

Parts of the Body Worked

How to Play

You’ve probably been walking for about as long as you’ve been talking. But walking isn’t just a way to get from here to there, its also a great physical activity! Walking doesn’t require a lot of equipment, you can do it anywhere, it is always available by just walking out your front door, and it’s a great way to relax and refresh. It’s also something you can do alone or with your friends and family.

If you thought walking was just putting one foot in front of the other, you were right! But check out these tips for how to walk and breathe correctly so your walk will be safer and easier.

Posture. How you hold your body is important. Stand up straight and tall. This means putting your shoulders back and relaxing them (no slouching!), and keeping your chin up and stomach in. It’s a good idea to look 20 feet ahead—about the lengths of two cars. This keeps your chin up and your eyes on your path!

Taking your first steps. Start out your first step with the heel first. Then roll your foot from heel to toe and push off the toes with the next step. Bringing the opposite leg forward, repeat this again. (This may feel a little funny at first but as your muscles get stronger it gets easier.)

Arm motion. Moving or swinging your arms when you’re walking can give you power and it balances what your legs are doing! Bend your elbow 90 degrees (so your arm looks like the letter “L”), while keeping your hands slightly curled. When you step, one foot moves forward and the arm opposite this foot should come forward too. As your foot goes back, bring back the opposite arm with it. Keep your elbows close to the body so you don’t have “chicken wings.”

Don’t forget to breathe! Your breathing should have a rhythm. Inhale one deep breath for four steps and then hold that breath for two steps. Then exhale to the count of four steps, and hold it for two steps before beginning all over again. So the rhythm is — breathe in (step 1, 2, 3, 4), hold (step 1, 2) breathe out (step 1, 2, 3, 4) hold (step 1, 2).

Everyone’s stride is different, so if you feel that four steps are too long or too short, adjust it to what is comfortable for you.

Fun Facts

• We don’t give a second thought to walking and breathing at the same time, but some ancient creatures, and some that are still around (like lizards), can’t do both at once. Lizards have to pause when they’re running in order to take breaths.

• If you walk 6,000 steps each day, you will walk a mile!

• Racewalking has been an Olympic sport since 1908. It is the longest foot race (31 miles!) in the Olympics.

• The distance to the sun is 93.5 million miles. If you walk about 4 miles every hour (which is fairly fast) it would take you 23.4 million hours, which is 974,000 days or 2,670 years to reach the sun!

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination each week. The guidelines also recommend that children and adolescents be active for at least 60 minutes every day. Following these guidelines can contribute to overall health, and decrease the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer or diabetes.

Walking is a great way to get the physical activity needed to obtain health benefits. Walking does not require any special skills. It also does not require a gym membership or expensive equipment. A single bout of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity can improve sleep, memory, and the ability to think and learn. It also reduces anxiety symptoms.

Why not! Add walking as part of your daily routine.

Two benefits of walking are that it’s easy to do and has a low risk of injury. Walking also is free or low-cost because you don’t need special equipment, clothing, facilities, or training. Because walking can easily fit your schedule, needs, and abilities, it’s a good way to start getting active if you’ve been inactive.

Health benefits

Like other kinds of regular physical activity, walking at a brisk pace also may offer health benefits, such as

• lowering your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes
• strengthening your bones and muscles
• helping you burn more calories
• improving your fitness
• lifting your mood

Most people do not need to see a doctor before they start a walking program. However, you should check with your doctor if you

• have a chronic health problem such as a heart condition, diabetes, or high blood pressure
• are over 40 years old and have been inactive

You also should talk with your doctor if, while walking, you get dizzy; feel faint or short of breath; or have chest, neck, shoulder, or arm pain.

At a Glance

• Researchers found that older women who took 4,400 steps a day had a lower risk of dying than those taking 2,700 steps a day.
• Death rates declined with more steps taken each day until about 7,500 steps a day, when the benefit leveled off.
• The findings suggest that some people may benefit from starting with goals of fewer than 10,000 steps a day, which is a common standard.

Walking is one of the most popular ways to get more physical activity as an adult. It’s free, easy to get started, and you can fit it into your day any time you want.

Wearable technologies like smartphones and watches can help you track how may steps you take each day. Many of these devices recommend a goal of 10,000 steps for better health. But that goal may sound like a lot to some people. The average number of steps for the U.S. population is between 4,000 and 5,000 steps a day. Inactive people may get only 2,000 steps a day or less.

To investigate how many steps are needed to gain health benefits, a team led by Dr. I-Min Lee at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School analyzed the daily activity of almost 17,000 women with an average age of 72 years. They then tracked deaths among the women from any cause for more than four years. The research was supported by NIH’s National Cancer Institutes (NCI) and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Results were published online on May 29, 2019, in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Participants wore a device that measures acceleration, called an accelerometer, on their hip while they were awake for seven days. Researchers measured the number of steps the women took each day and how fast these steps were (steps/min).

More than 500 of the women died over the course of the study. Those who took around 4,400 steps per day had a 41% lower risk of death (mortality) during the study than those who took 2,700 steps. This risk continued to decrease until about 7,500 steps, when the effect leveled off.

Step intensity wasn’t linked to lower mortality. In fact, most of the women walked slower than what’s considered moderately intense walking.

“Taking 10,000 steps a day can sound daunting. But we find that even a modest increase in steps taken is tied to significantly lower mortality in older women,” Lee says. “Our study adds to a growing understanding of the importance of physical activity for health, clarifies the number of steps related to lower mortality, and amplifies the message: Step more—even a little more is helpful.”

The design of the study couldn’t rule out the possibility that the women’s stepping patterns were affected by other health factors that also influenced mortality—although the researchers did adjust for many of these. Additional studies are also needed, with more diverse participants, to explore how widely applicable these findings are and how step patterns affect specific health conditions.

—Tianna Hicklin, Ph.D.

How much should I walk?

Adults need 150 minutes, or 2.5 hours, per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity to stay healthy. Aerobic physical activity is activity that speeds up your heart rate and breathing. Brisk walking is an example of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. Walking briskly for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, will help you meet the goal of 150 minutes per week. But any 10-minute period of physical activity helps. If you can't walk for 30 minutes at a time, try breaking your activity into three 10-minute walks instead.

For more health benefits and to control your weight, you may need to walk more than 150 minutes a week. Aim for doubling the amount to 300 minutes each week, or about 1 hour a day on 5 days of the week. The more you walk, the more health benefits you may gain!

How do I begin?

Walking is an easy form of physical activity to start because many people can walk wherever they are, without days or weeks of preparing and planning. Follow these four steps:

1. Set goals and make a plan to reach them.

Setting realistic goals—such as walking 10 to 15 minutes, three times a week—and having a plan to reach them will improve your chances of sticking with a walking program.

Think about the following as you set your goals and create an action plan:

Goals

• How far and how often you will walk to start
• Where you want to be with your walking program in 6 months
• Where you want to be in 1 year

Action Plan

• Where you will walk
• What days and times you will walk
• Who your walking buddy or support person will be

2. Be prepared.

Make sure you have everything you may need, such as

• shoes that fit right and have good arch support; a firm, well-cushioned heel; and nonskid, flexible soles
• clothes that keep you dry and comfortable
• a hat or visor for the sun, sunscreen, and sunglasses
• a hat and scarf to cover your head and ears when it’s cold outside
• layers of clothing in cold weather that you can remove as you warm up

3. Get moving.

Divide your walk into three parts:

• Warm up by walking slowly.
• Increase your speed to a brisk walk. Brisk walking means walking fast enough to raise your heart rate while still being able to speak and breathe easily.
• Cool down by slowing your pace.

When walking, be sure to use proper form:

• Keep your chin up and your shoulders slightly back and relaxed.
• Look forward, not at the ground.
• Keep your back straight, rather than arched forward or backward.
• Let the heel of your foot touch the ground first, and then roll your weight forward.
• Walk with your toes pointed forward.
• Swing your arms naturally.

4. Add on.

As walking gets easier, start to go faster and farther. Add hills or some stairs to make your walks more challenging. Review the sample walking plan that follows for an idea of how to start and slowly increase walking.

Sample daily walking program

The sample walking program below is a guide to help you get started. Your walking sessions may be longer or shorter than this sample program, based on your ability. If you are walking less than three times per week, give yourself more than 2 weeks before adding time to your walk.

Research is ongoing about the best time to stretch. You may warm up before your walk by walking more slowly for a few minutes before picking up the pace. You may choose to stretch after you warm up and after you are done walking and cooling down. Cool down by walking slowly the last few minutes of your walk.

After you are done walking, gentle stretching may help make you more flexible. To stretch correctly, avoid bouncing or holding your breath. Do each stretch slowly and move only as far as you feel comfortable. Below are some examples of stretches you may want to try.

Side Reach

Reach one arm over your head and to the side. Keep your hips steady and your shoulders straight to the side. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat on the other side.

Wall Push

Lean your hands on a wall and place your feet about 3 to 4 feet away from the wall. Bend one knee and point it toward the wall. Keep your back leg straight with your foot flat and your toes pointed straight ahead. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat with the other leg.

Knee Pull

Lean your back against a wall. Keep your head, hips, and feet in a straight line. Pull one knee toward your chest, hold for 10 seconds, and then repeat with the other leg.

Leg Curl

Pull your right foot toward your buttocks with your right hand. Stand straight and keep your bent knee pointing straight down. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat with your other foot and hand.

Hamstring Stretch

Sit on a sturdy bench or hard surface so that one leg is stretched out on the bench with your toes pointing up. Keep your other foot flat on the surface below. Straighten your back, and if you feel a stretch in the back of your thigh, hold for 10 seconds and then change sides and repeat. If you do not feel a stretch, slowly lean forward from your hips until you feel a stretch.

The key to building any habit is to stick with the new behavior. Try these tips to help you stick with your walking routine:

• Walk in places you enjoy, like a park or shopping center. Try different places and routes to keep it interesting and to stay motivated.
• Listen to your favorite music as you walk, remembering to keep the volume low so you can hear sounds around you.
• Bring a friend or family member. Having a regular walking buddy may help keep you going—even when you would rather stay home. You can cheer each other on and serve as role models for friends, family members, and others.
• Have a “Plan B.” When bad weather or other roadblocks get in the way, be ready with options, like walking inside a mall rather than outdoors.
• Track your progress on paper, online, or with a fitness app for your phone or computer. Record dates, distance, and how you felt when you were done. Tools such as the Body Weight Planner can help you track your physical activity online. Devices such as pedometers and fitness trackers may help you count steps, calories, and how far you walk during a certain period of time.
• Reward yourself with something pleasant after your walk, like a relaxing shower or 30 minutes of time to yourself.
• Be prepared for setbacks. If you have a setback, go back to your walking routine again as soon as you can.

With time, walking will become part of your daily life and may even make it easier to try other types of physical activity.

Doctors often recommend walking as an easy way for inactive people to ease into better health. Taking 4,000 or fewer steps a day is considered a low level of physical activity. A goal of 10,000 steps a day is commonly cited, but recent studies have shown that health benefits accrue even if fewer than 10,000 steps are taken daily.

Past studies have mostly been done in older adults. It hasn’t been clear what number of steps or intensity are needed to benefit adults of other ages.

A research team with investigators from NIH’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) looked at the association between step count, intensity, and risk of death in a broader range of the U.S. population. They used data on physical activity collected by a national health survey, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), between 2003-2006. The study was published on March 24, 2020, in JAMA.

The team used data from people aged 40 or older who wore an accelerometer—a device that measures step number and cadence (steps per minute)—during their waking hours for a week. Researchers then collected information on deaths for about a decade. They also tracked deaths specifically from cancer and heart disease.

In their analysis, the researchers compared the risk of death over the follow-up period among people who took fewer than 4,000, up to 8,000, or 12,000 or more steps a day. They also tested whether step intensity, measured by cadence, was associated with better health.

During the decade of follow-up, 1,165 out of the 4,840 participants died from any cause. Of these, 406 died from heart disease and 283 died of cancer.

Compared with people who took 4,000 steps a day, those who took 8,000 steps a day at the start of the study had a 50% lower risk of dying from any cause during follow-up. People who took 12,000 steps a day had a 65% lower risk of dying than those who took only 4,000.

Higher step counts were also associated with lower rates of death from heart disease and cancer. These benefits were consistent across age, sex, and race groups.

Step intensity did not seem to impact the risk of mortality once the total number of steps per day was considered. Only an increased number of steps per day was associated with a reduced risk of death.

“We wanted to investigate this question to provide new insights that could help people better understand the health implications of the step counts they get from fitness trackers and phone apps,” says first author Dr. Pedro Saint-Maurice of NCI.

The findings are consistent with current recommendations that adults should move more and sit less throughout the day. But because this study was observational, it could not prove that increased physical activity caused a reduced risk of death. Higher step counts also may reflect people who were in better health to begin with, which could potentially influence the results.

Some places are safer to walk when you are outdoors than others. Keep safety in mind as you plan when and where you will walk.

• Be aware of your surroundings. If you wear headphones while walking, keep the volume low enough so you can hear car horns, people’s voices, barking, and other sounds and noises.
• Walk with others, when possible, and take a phone and ID, such as a driver’s license, with you.
• Let your family and friends know where and when you walk.
• Wear a reflective vest or brightly colored clothing if it is dark outside.
• Be careful walking around large bushes, parked cars, and other barriers that may block your view of traffic or other people.
• Watch out for uneven or slippery streets and sidewalks; or holes, rocks, or sticks that could cause falls.
• Walk in an indoor mall or shopping center if you don’t feel safe or comfortable walking outside.

Walking is a great way to increase physical activity. It requires no special skills, costly equipment, or special clothing beyond comfortable walking shoes. Sometimes it is hard to find a safe place to walk, however, preventing a person from being physically active. For example, many neighborhoods lack sidewalks, have busy traffic, and sometimes are unsafe (e.g., crime, poor lighting, uneven surfaces). Weather can also play a role in someone’s decision to walk or not. But walking inside a shopping mall can solve many of these problems.

Mall walking offers a safe, free, comfortable, walker-friendly way for the public to be more physically active. A guide to establishing and improving mall walking programs was developed by the University of Washington’s Health Promotion Research Center (HPRC) and CDC. Mall Walking: A Program Resource Guide explains how mall walking makes it easy to be physically active by providing:

• An indoor environment to avoid harsh weather.
• Mall security staff and the presence of other walkers and shoppers.
• Level ground, which can reduce the risk of trips and falls.
• Company of fellow mall walkers.
• Well-lit restrooms, access to free water fountains, and benches or places to sit and rest.

People who are physically active live longer and have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, and some cancers.

Physical activity such as walking can help improve health. To gain health benefits, national guidelines recommend that adults, including older adults, should obtain at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous-intensity activity. People who are physically active live longer and have a lower risk for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, and some cancers. Improving spaces and having safe places to walk can help more people become physically active.