Having said that, not all walks are equal, and there are ways to supercharge yours from casual stroll to unbeatable health-builder.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cA few simple tweaks can completely change how effective your walk is for the body, mind and brain, and importantly how enjoyable your walking feels,\u201d says Joanna Hall<\/a>, a sports scientist and founder of the WalkActive method.<\/a><\/p>\n New FeatureIn ShortQuick Stories. Same trusted journalism.<\/p>\n Here, we look at the best ways to maximise your walk, and the common mistakes to avoid.<\/p>\n 10 ways to improve your\u00a0walk<\/p>\n Get a bit breathless<\/p>\n \u201cMy biggest message is that it\u2019s not just about more steps, it\u2019s about better steps,\u201d says Hall. And better steps often start with a faster pace.<\/p>\n While all walking paces have been linked with a lower risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, there are additional gains to be made by those who walk <\/a>at a moderate-to-vigorous intensity when it comes to reducing cancer risk. This is also linked with improved cardiometabolic health, including glucose control and blood pressure.<\/p>\n Brisk walking is defined as around three miles per hour (around 20 minutes per mile, or 12 minutes per kilometre), but is best thought of as a pace where you can talk, but not sing along to a song.<\/p>\n You can also try the Active 10 app<\/a>, which tells you when you\u2019re walking fast enough and suggests ways to fit in some more brisk walking.<\/p>\n Walk uphill<\/p>\n Most people could probably guess that walking uphill is more demanding on our bodies, thanks to how puffed it can leave even the fittest among us.<\/p>\n In a study comparing people walking on treadmills at a 0 per cent, 10 per cent and 16 per cent incline, the metabolic demand<\/a> on participants\u2019 hearts, lungs and muscles of the steepest walk was 44 per cent higher than the flat surface.<\/p>\n Also more demanding than a flat surface is walking downhill \u2013 research shows it leads to great muscle damage, due to how the muscles are loaded while in a stretched position, ultimately leading to stronger muscles.<\/p>\n Whether walking in a park, on the roadside or on a treadmill, try to find varying inclines to increase energy and muscle burn.<\/a><\/p>\n Add weight<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re looking to retain and build muscle mass while walking, wearable weights can be a good idea,\u201d says personal trainer and founder of Ladies Who Crunch<\/a>, Nancy Best. \u201cWhether you use a weighted vest or rucksack will change the load to either the front or back of the body, challenging different muscle groups.\u201d<\/p>\n The extra resistance also challenges your heart to work harder, increasing cardiovascular fitness for those who can\u2019t do or don\u2019t enjoy more intense cardio workouts.<\/p>\n Hall advises getting comfortable with walking well under your own body weight before adding resistance in the form of a vest or bag.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd, in the same way that you wouldn\u2019t start a strength-training<\/a> programme with a heavy barbell, begin with a couple of kilograms of resistance and slowly increase the weight once the resistance feels comfortable,\u201d adds Best.<\/p>\n The best bit? If you already lug a rucksack with a laptop, lunch box and water bottle to work every day, it counts. Ensure the straps are properly secured to prevent hunching, and add some extra steps to your commute to reap the benefits.<\/p>\n Find uneven ground<\/p>\n Even smaller changes in terrain can make a huge difference to the effectiveness of your walk. \u201cMountainous and uneven terrain<\/a> work your stabilising muscles harder, increasing the difficulty and output from your walk,\u201d says Best.<\/p>\n It also leads to more load on the hip and knee joints, as well as extra muscle stimulation in seven muscles in the legs. All of which, in turn, prompts higher energy burn and greater strength.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t have a local mountain range handy, don\u2019t worry: uneven terrain can be found on gravel paths, sand and off-track grounds \u2013 but if you struggle with weaknesses in the knees and hips, build this up slowly.<\/p>\n Go Nordic<\/p>\n Another way to build resistance is by using poles. Known as Nordic walking, the technique engages the arms as well as the legs and core, turning walking into a full-body workout that burns around 20 per cent more energy and improves upper-body strength compared with regular walking<\/a>.<\/p>\n The poles are also useful for people with mobility or stability struggles, including older adults, making this a great way to build fitness for all ages.<\/p>\n Nordic walking technique \u2013 involving keeping the poles behind the body, specific arm movements, and a grip-release pattern to hold them \u2013 isn\u2019t very intuitive, but has been found to lead to the most beneficial workout. It could be of use to get a coach: look at British Nordic Walking<\/a> or Nordic Walking UK<\/a> for accredited trainers. Poles can cost between \u00a312-\u00a340 from sports retailers or Amazon.<\/p>\n Make it 15 minutes<\/p>\n What is better: a long walk or lots of shorter bursts of stepping across the day? A paper published last year reported that people who got their steps in during longer bouts of walking had a longer life and better cardiovascular health compared with people who did shorter walks of the same cumulative distance. But longer walks weren\u2019t hour-long hikes<\/a> \u2013 they were defined in the study as anything over 15 minutes. That isn\u2019t an impossible chunk of movement to add into your day. \u201cGetting off the bus one stop early to walk to your destination adds up,\u201d says Best.<\/p>\n The study didn\u2019t look at the intensity of the walk, but for those who really have only seconds to spare, other research has found that very short bursts of walking can be just as beneficial if they\u2019re intense. This is often referred to as \u201cexercise snacking\u201d \u2013 small chunks of exercise done throughout the day \u2013 which improves fitness despite the brevity.<\/p>\n \u201cUltimately, research shows that people with a high step count have better health markers than those who don\u2019t \u2013 but for some people, little and often is more realistic than carving out an hour a day.\u201d <\/p>\n Walk after eating<\/p>\n A walk is beneficial at any time of day, but after eating could be best. Research has found that 10- to 30-minute walks<\/a> taken 10 to 30 minutes after a meal can reduce the peak blood-sugar measurements reached, and that blood sugar rises more slowly, rather than spiking and crashing.<\/p>\n Slower and lower blood sugar throughout the day reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in the long term, as well as supporting better energy levels throughout your day.<\/p>\n So, walk your commute after breakfast, lap your office after lunch and take your dog walk after dinner to support your health.<\/p>\n Improve your posture<\/p>\n There is a form to walking just as there is for any exercise, and using the right muscles can make it feel more comfortable and effective.<\/p>\n \u201cYour walking technique is something you use every single day \u2013 it\u2019s absolutely worth improving,\u201d says Hall. \u201cImagine you\u2019re \u2018framing your body\u2019 as you walk \u2013 staying tall through the spine, gently opening your chest and keeping your eyes forward.<\/p>\n \u201cI also talk about \u2018walking out of your backspace\u2019 \u2013 filling the space behind you as well as in front of you.<\/p>\n \u201cThis stimulates the posterior chain of your body, which not only instantly improves posture, but stimulates better alignment to reduce joint strain on your knees and hips, boosts your walking pace by stimulating your glutes to work more and helps you to feel more confident and energised.\u201d<\/p>\n Go green (or blue)<\/p>\n Walking in nature has more psychological benefits than walking on concrete. Forests, parks and seaside (known as green and blue spaces) are shown to significantly reduce anxiety<\/a>, depression and heart rate compared with walking through a city environment.<\/p>\n If you are not lucky enough to have a forest near home or a house in the countryside to escape to, finding pockets of greenery in your concrete jungle can still improve benefits: a meta-analysis reported that people who walked in urban green spaces had significantly reduced stress (in the form of heart-rate variability, an indicator of nervous system activation) and reported better moods and energy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Even tree-lined streets are better than plant-free environments.<\/p>\n Meet outside<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need to struggle to fit in your walk alongside your other commitments when you can simply do both. \u201cInterrogate whether your meetings need to be sedentary. Could a call be audio-only so you can get some fresh air<\/a>, rather than sit on a video call?\u201d asks Best. \u201cOr could you arrange a walking meeting rather than a coffee?\u201d<\/p>\n Walking side by side is also a good time to have serious conversations, whether with your boss about a pay rise or a friend about something that is troubling you.<\/p>\n Experts think this is because people feel more comfortable shoulder-to-shoulder rather than looking into each other\u2019s eyes, while the mental relaxation of walking keeps people calm.<\/p>\n Five mistakes to avoid<\/p>\n Focusing too much on\u00a0step\u00a0count<\/p>\n There is no magic step count to improve health benefits, but we know for sure that the 10,000 step goal \u2013 while a great, whole number to aim for \u2013 was devised by a pedometer marketing company.<\/p>\n Most research says that benefits plateau at 7,000 steps a day, and that the biggest gains aren\u2019t made from consistent 20,000 step days but when people who do very little start doing more<\/a>. \u201cSteps are helpful, but they\u2019re only part of the picture,\u201d says Hall. \u201cI\u2019d much rather see someone take fewer, better-quality steps.\u201d<\/p>\n Using ankle or wrist weights<\/p>\n \u201cI personally never advise people to walk with hand or ankle weights, because they tend to pull the body out of its best alignment,\u201d says Hall. \u201cAnkle weights can tug at the hip flexors and knees; wrist weights can encourage people to \u2018throw\u2019 their arms from the hands instead of moving from the shoulder. If you\u2019re using walking as your main health tool, that\u2019s not ideal and can aggravate existing joint issues.\u201d<\/p>\n Doing one-and-done<\/p>\n A three-hour hike on a Saturday is a lovely way to spend a day \u2013 but if the only steps you take from Monday to Friday are from your bedroom to your home office, you\u2019re missing out on benefits. \u201cBe consistent rather than heroic. Two or three 20- to 30-minute walks across the week, plus shorter \u2018movement snacks\u2019, will do far more for your health than the odd punishing power walk that leaves you exhausted or sore.\u201d<\/p>\n Thinking it\u2019s not a workout<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_281664362.jpg\")
Adding a gradient to your walk is a good way to increase metabolic demand (Photo: Jan Nevidal\/Getty\/E+)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_281798886-e1769090402471.jpg\")
Walking can do more for you than many think (Photo: Maskot\/Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Rear](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SEI_281789363.jpg\")
Head to green or blue spaces (Photo: Goodboy Picture Company\/Getty\/E+)<\/p>\n
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