{"id":504443,"date":"2026-05-27T02:21:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T02:21:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/504443\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T02:21:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T02:21:27","slug":"how-just-20-minutes-of-walking-a-day-can-transform-your-health-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/504443\/","title":{"rendered":"How just 20 minutes of walking a day can transform your health"},"content":{"rendered":"

The article below is an excerpt from my newsletter: Well Enough with Harry Bullmore<\/a>. To get my latest thoughts on fitness and wellbeing pop your email address into the box above to get the newsletter direct to your inbox.<\/p>\n

If your exercise arsenal was a spice rack, walking would be the salt. It\u2019s not the only thing you need for excellent health \u2013 or a tasty meal \u2013 but it lays the foundation for an effective exercise routine.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe should be walking every single day,\u201d says Dr Courtney Conley, a chiropractic physician and co-author of Walk: Your Life Depends on It. \u201cIt\u2019s a non-negotiable if we want to live well for longer.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything is better than nothing. You can start with a five-minute walk. But what\u2019s really interesting to me is that when I see patients with a daily step count of 2,500 or less, it comes with a diagnosis of depression or sadness almost 100 per cent of the time. If you are only moving 2,500 steps a day, you don\u2019t feel well, physically or mentally.\u201d<\/p>\n

The human body thrives when it is moved regularly, but modern life no longer demands it \u2013 few people are foraging for their dinner nowadays. The remedy lies in finding ways to move more, and walking is the most accessible (and arguably the most enjoyable) option for most people. So, you guessed it, that\u2019s our theme for this week.<\/p>\n

NHS physical activity guidelines<\/a> advise adults aged 19\u201364 to accumulate a weekly total of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, or an equivalent mixture of the two. This can sound like gibberish to a lot of people.<\/p>\n

Intensity is relative to the individual. Moderate-intensity means your heart rate is raised and you\u2019re breathing a bit harder, but you can still hold a fairly fluent conversation. For most people, this means a brisk walk, or a jog or cycle for fitter individuals.<\/p>\n

Vigorous-intensity is where you\u2019re sweating and breathing hard enough that you can\u2019t speak in full sentences \u2013 an effort level you can only sustain for a few minutes at a time. This could range from a tough uphill walk to a HIIT workout or running intervals, depending on your fitness level.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe guidelines are built on a solid evidence base showing that this level of activity significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and premature death,\u201d says Jack McNamara, a clinical exercise physiologist, strength coach and course leader at the University of East London<\/a>. \u201cThe problem is that around a third of UK adults don\u2019t meet them.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you can consistently do a little over 20 minutes of brisk walking each day, you\u2019re well on your way to better health. Add one or two short weekly strength-training sessions<\/a> on top of this and you have a healthier routine than most Brits<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWalking should be on every doctor\u2019s prescription pad,\u201d says Dr Conley. \u201cIt is the panacea of medicine. When someone views walking as a physiological necessity, seeing 7,000 daily steps as equivalent to six to eight hours of sleep, it builds a foundation of wellness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daily step goals will vary depending on the individual (more on how to set an appropriate daily step goal here<\/a>), although 7,000 has been identified by several studies as a time-efficient, health-boosting target.<\/p>\n

Whatever your goal, walking more can spark a virtuous cycle, Dr Conley says. Walking makes you feel better; feeling better gives you the energy to exercise more; people who exercise tend to eat better and sleep better; proper fuel and rest make you more likely to lead an active life; and the cycle continues.<\/p>\n

Research has also linked walking to improved mood and mental health, reduced risk of death from any cause, protective effects against cancer, heart disease and dementia, better blood sugar regulation, injury prevention and improved physical function.<\/p>\n

Put simply, it has an uncanny knack for helping you feel better, both inside and out.<\/p>\n

Now, back to the NHS guidelines. Given they advise 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, we can deduce that higher-intensity exercise is a more time-efficient way to gain greater health benefits.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, there are simple ways to up the intensity<\/a> of your regular walk: pick up the pace, tackle some hills, or even carry a slightly weighty rucksack<\/a>. Research also suggests that longer walks (15 minutes or more) and walking immediately after meals<\/a> offer additional health benefits.<\/p>\n

However, vigorous-intensity activity is not for everyone. For some people, it may not feel good \u2013 and we are unlikely to stick with activities that don\u2019t feel good.<\/p>\n

Professor Stamatakis\u2019 research<\/a> suggests that many of the benefits of higher-intensity exercise can be achieved through lower-intensity movement \u2013 you simply need to do more of it to gain similar effects. This brings us back to Dr Conley\u2019s earlier point: \u201cAnything is better than nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you can find ways to walk more, you will probably feel better. And if something I write here can help you feel better, I can be satisfied with a job well done.<\/p>\n

Get the Well Enough newsletter<\/strong>\"Get<\/p>\n

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