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Walking costs nothing and requires no gym membership, kit, special knowledge or even training (beyond months of intensive toddling sessions when you’re a one-year-old). Though Fitbit-wearers chasing 10,000 steps are now a fairly common sight, the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other is still considered by some to be supplementary to a ‘real’ workout. It’s the thing that you do on the way to the gym, an incidental activity rather than the main attraction. ‘If walking is your only exercise, it simply isn’t enough,’ warned the exercise scientist Van Marinos in a 2020 article, when lockdowns and other restrictions meant that, for many, a circuit around the block after a trip to the nearest Sainsbury’s Local was the day’s cardio fix.
Yet a new meta-analysis of seven observational studies published in the journal Sports Medicine suggests that walking is a more effective way to both promote and maintain health than previously thought. Sifting through data on more than 28,000 subjects, Iranian researchers investigated the association between step count per day and all-cause mortality risk. They found that not only were modest increases in walking associated with a lower risk of death, but the benefits continued to accrue up to a step count of around 17,000 per day. Until that point, the mortality rate fell, on average, by a statistically significant 12% with every further 1,000 steps – regardless of the intensity. So don’t underestimate the value of a stroll: you can make important gains without the pain.
Your Steps Count
Walking does a lot more than get you from A to B – here’s the science to prove it.
01/ Weighty Issues
German scientists found that moderate walking enhances the weight-loss effects of an energy-restricted diet and reduces insulin resistance.
02/ Mind Gains
A review of 42 studies involving 1,843 participants found that walking regularly in a group led to a wide range of health benefits, such as a reduction in depression scores.
03/ Heart of the Matter
A study found that moderate-intensity walking equalled running in terms of reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems, such as heart disease and high blood pressure.
