Walking is an underappreciated form of cardio exercise, often overshadowed by the ooh-ahh of high-intensity interval training, running, and other snazzy exercise routines. If you’re wondering, “Is walking good cardio?” you may be pleased to find out that the honest answer is — yes, it is!
For those who are more concerned with general health, fitness, and well-being than performance, consistent walking may be all you need to reach a multitude of goals. Ahead, learn more about the benefits of walking, how it stacks up as a form of cardio exercise, and how much you should walk to reap the benefits.
Editor’s Note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. When starting a new training regimen and/or diet, it is always a good idea to consult with a trusted medical professional. We are not a medical resource. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional.
Is Walking Considered a Good Cardio Workout?
Walking is an excellent way to support your cardiovascular fitness. A brisk walking workout increases blood flow throughout the body and engages major muscle groups, including the quads, hamstrings, calves, and core.
As for whether walking is considered a “good” cardio workout in the sense that it will improve your fitness level or athletic performance, most fitness professionals would agree that the answer is subjective. For a beginner who’s starting from a sedentary lifestyle, walking is certainly a good cardio workout. It will raise the heart rate, increase breathing rate, and tax the muscles of the lower body.
[Read More: HIIT Vs. LISS — Which Type of Cardio Is Better?]
For more advanced exercisers, particularly those who regularly engage in higher-intensity cardio exercise, walking may not present as much of a challenge. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing, though: Walking — especially briskly — brings more benefits to the table than improved cardio performance.
The Benefits of Walking
Walking is a gateway to boundless health, fitness, and wellness benefits. Here’s a look at some of the most significant ones.
Low Barrier to Entry
Walking is a simple form of exercise that costs nothing, so long as you already have a pair of walking or running shoes and clothes to walk in. This low barrier of entry means almost every able-bodied individual can participate in walking as a method of cardio exercise.
For beginners, walking acts as a gentle nudge towards better heart health, reducing blood pressure and easing the body into a more active lifestyle.
— Chris Pruitt
There are some contraindications to consider, of course: Not everyone has access to safe outdoor spaces to walk, and even the best budget treadmill is a considerable investment, as is commuting to a gym just for treadmill walking. But, for the most part, walking is an excellent way to increase your daily physical activity for next to nothing.
Improved Cardiovascular Health
“Walking significantly boosts heart health, rivaling high-intensity cardio by improving circulation and reducing heart disease risk without the intensity shock to the system,” Pruitt says.
It’s true: Walking has been referred to as the “first step in cardiovascular disease prevention” and numerous clinical trials have solidified the cardiovascular benefits of walking. (1)
[Read More: 30-Minute Treadmill Workouts to Build Stamina and Strength]
A systematic review in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, for example, concluded that increasing one’s step count by just 1,000 steps per day is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. (2) (Cardiovascular disease is a broad term that encompasses high cholesterol, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and other conditions of the cardiovascular system.)
Additionally, a 2021 meta-analysis in the Journal of Sport and Health Science found that a higher daily step count is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events, such as strokes and heart attacks. (3)
Can Help With Weight Loss Efforts
If you are trying to lose weight, you may be pleased to learn that walking is a bona-fide way to reach weight loss goals. Increasing your physical activity levels can help you burn more calories than you consume, which leads to weight loss over time.
Of course, many other factors contribute to sustainable, long-term weight loss. Including some resistance training and focusing on eating a nutrient-dense diet, in addition to walking more, can help reduce body fat over time.
[Read More: The Ultimate Guide to Walking for Weight Loss]
May Help With Blood Sugar Control
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), physical activity is one of the most important components in managing one’s blood sugar. Individuals who have type 2 diabetes can manage their condition by walking regularly, which can lower blood sugar levels and increase sensitivity to insulin.
Low-Impact Exercise
Individuals with health conditions affecting the joints, such as arthritis or previous injuries, may find certain types of exercise unattainable due to joint impact. Walking is considered low-impact exercise and is often well-tolerated by individuals with sensitive joints. If you have arthritis or another joint condition, talk to a healthcare provider about starting a walking routine.
Improves Bone Density
Weight-bearing exercise, including walking, improves bone density and helps with prevention of osteoporosis and age-related bone mineral loss. This is particularly important for cisgender women, who have a higher risk of osteoporosis than cisgender men.
Studies dating back to the 1990s have shown that a higher volume of walking is associated with greater bone mineral density; since then, concurring evidence has continued to accumulate. (4) A 2022 clinical trial published in PLoS ONE concluded that “long-term brisk walking is an efficient way to improve bone mineral density” in premenopausal cis women. (5)
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Gets You Outside
An underappreciated benefit of walking is that it gets you outside (assuming you’re walking outdoors and not on a walking treadmill at home). The health benefits of time in nature are well-documented and include things like improved mood, reduced stress and anxiety, enhanced cognitive activity, and better quality of life, according to a 2021 review of evidence in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. (6)
[Read More: Everything You Need to Know About the Trending 12-3-30 Workout]
How Many Steps Should You Walk Each Day?
Despite the buzz about 10,000 steps, there currently isn’t a defined number of steps that individuals should walk each day, according to the National Institutes of Health. The ideal walking routine will vary from person to person, because each person’s schedule and needs differ. Someone who utilizes walking as their sole form of aerobic exercise should walk more than someone who, say, also cycles or swims a couple of times per week.
[Read More: Is 10,000 Really the Magic Number? The Science Behind Taking 10,000 Steps a Day]
According to a 2022 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the “minimum effective dose” — the minimum amount you need to see health benefits — of aerobic physical activity is one hour per week. Among nearly 420,000 adults, researchers found that just one hour per week of moderate-intensity exercise conferred benefits that reduced the risk of death from any cause. However, additional benefits were seen with three hours of moderate- or vigorous-intensity exercise. (Worth noting: strength training in addition to aerobic exercise resulted in even greater benefits.) (7)
[Read More: Treadmill Workouts for Beginners: 4 Options + Training Tips]
The official recommendation by the U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in the national Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans is to get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week. That’s two and a half hours, which you can break up in many ways. Some options follow:
- A 21-minute walk each day
- A 30-minute walk five days per week
- A 50-minute walk three days per week.
How many steps you get in that amount of time depends on many factors, including your fitness level, walking speed, and stride length.
Tips for Walking More During the Day
Struggling to commit to a daily walk? You’re not alone. Fitting exercise into today’s busy schedules is tough, especially when other commitments seem more important. However, you’ll be happy you got your steps in when you feel how it benefits your energy levels, mental health, and wellness. Here are some tips for walking more each day.
Walk First Thing
Pruitt recommends integrating a “brisk morning walk” into your daily routine. “This early activity not only energizes your day but ensures you’re more likely to hit and even surpass your step goal,” he says. “Combine this with tracking via a smartwatch or pedometer, and you’ve got a foolproof plan for cardiovascular and overall health. Walking is not just a step towards better physical health but a stride towards overall wellbeing.”
Though waking up early to exercise can be difficult, getting it done first thing means nothing can ruin your chance of success later in the day. Bonus: early morning exercise kicks your day off with a sense of accomplishment, which can create a positive domino effect for the day.
[Read More: Walking Vs Driving — New Survey Suggests ⅓ of Americans Would Rather Drive Than Walk 5 Minutes]
Schedule Work Breaks
Desk workers find it all too easy to sit at their workstations without taking any significant breaks, even for lunch. To get more steps each day, consider blocking off time in your calendar to take a few steps.
[Read More: The Best Compact Treadmills on the Market]
The breaks don’t have to be long — even five minutes every hour will boost your daily step count. Physically scheduling these breaks into your calendar makes them concrete activities, and getting a calendar reminder gives you a reminder to get moving.
Create a Walking Playlist
Often, music provides the motivation needed to exercise. In fact, a 2020 meta-analysis in Psychology Bulletin analyzed 139 studies and found that listening to music prior to exercise can reduce ratings of perceived exertion (how hard the exercise feels) and enhance physical performance. (8)
Jamming out to your favorite tunes before and during your walk might be just what you need. Podcasts are also a good option: Losing yourself in a good story will make your walk go by quicker.
Invest in a Fitness Tracker
A fitness tracker or smartwatch might be the tool you need to keep up with a walking habit. For some people, a simple pedometer will do; others may benefit from hourly reminders to walk and challenges to complete, such as closing the activity ring on an Apple Watch.
Walk During Meetings
If you have meetings where you’re a fly on the wall, consider taking them outside with your cell phone and earbuds. Even if it’s just once a week, the benefits will stack up. You may even begin to look forward to such meetings since you can get outside and get some fresh air.
Make Social Time Active
Ask friends and family if they’d like to take a walk instead of going out to eat, going for drinks, or seeing a movie. It doesn’t have to be all the time, but swapping in walks for other common social activities every once in a while can make a big difference in your overall activity level.
Consider Purchasing a Walking Pad
If you simply cannot find a way to dedicate time to a walk outside or in a gym, consider buying a walking pad or under-desk treadmill for your home. With it, you can walk while you work and take meetings, substantially increasing your daily step count.
FAQs
So is walking good cardio? The verdict seems to be yes. Here are answers to the lingering questions you might have.
Walking improves cardiovascular health and fitness, can increase energy levels and mental alertness, assists with blood sugar management, helps prevent osteoporosis, and can assist with weight loss efforts. Walking improves cardiovascular health and fitness, can increase energy levels and mental alertness, assists with blood sugar management, helps prevent osteoporosis, and can assist with weight loss efforts.
Absolutely. If you currently engage in a different form of cardio, such as cycling or using an elliptical, you can swap walking in for cardio exercise.
Determining ideal heart rate zones depends on your fitness and health goals. For the most part, walking will keep you in zones one to three, with zone one being a low effort and zone three being a moderate effort. You can further improve your fitness by utilizing walking intervals, such as two minutes in zone one followed by one minute in zone three, and so forth.
References
- Murtagh EM, Murphy MH, Boone-Heinonen J. Walking: the first steps in cardiovascular disease prevention. Curr Opin Cardiol. 2010;25(5):490-496.
- Hall KS, Hyde ET, Bassett DR, et al. Systematic review of the prospective association of daily step counts with risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, and dysglycemia. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2020;17(1):78. Published 2020 Jun 20.
- Sheng M, Yang J, Bao M, et al. The relationships between step count and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events: A dose-response meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2021;10(6):620-628.
- Krall EA, Dawson-Hughes B. Walking is related to bone density and rates of bone loss. Am J Med. 1994;96(1):20-26.
- Lan YS, Feng YJ. The volume of brisk walking is the key determinant of BMD improvement in premenopausal women. PLoS One. 2022;17(3):e0265250. Published 2022 Mar 16.
- Jimenez MP, DeVille NV, Elliott EG, et al. Associations between Nature Exposure and Health: A Review of the Evidence. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(9):4790. Published 2021 Apr 30.
- Coleman CJ, McDonough DJ, Pope ZC, Pope CA. Dose-response association of aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity with mortality: a national cohort study of 416 420 US adults. Br J Sports Med. Published online August 11, 2022.
- Terry PC, Karageorghis CI, Curran ML, Martin OV, Parsons-Smith RL. Effects of music in exercise and sport: A meta-analytic review. Psychol Bull. 2020;146(2):91-117.
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