{"id":216450,"date":"2025-12-29T15:07:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T15:07:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/216450\/"},"modified":"2025-12-29T15:07:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T15:07:07","slug":"build-muscle-while-walking-with-these-5-hacks-from-heading-to-the-hills-to-picking-up-the-pace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/216450\/","title":{"rendered":"Build muscle while walking with these 5 hacks, from heading to the hills to picking up the pace"},"content":{"rendered":"

Walking is having a moment \u2013 and for good reason. Getting in some steps not only helps you to feel good, but also compliments any workout routine and has legitimate health benefits in its own right. According to a 2023 study in GeroScience<\/a>, walking can help to increase aerobic fitness<\/a>, decrease body fat and reduce blood pressure in sedentary adults. It also found that those who live in Blue Zones \u2013 which are regions of the world where people tend to live the longest \u2013 do low-impact activities, like walking, on a regular basis. <\/p>\n

However, building muscle<\/a> is also incredibly important when it comes to living and moving healthily for a long time. Here, we explore whether walking alone can build muscle, which muscles it works and how to reap more strength benefits from your walking routine.<\/p>\n

Can walking actually build muscle?<\/p>\n

While walking can help to develop muscular endurance, which is your muscles\u2019 ability to sustain exercise for long periods of time, Grace Horan<\/a>, a certified exercise physiologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery<\/a>, says that it\u2019s not the most effective way to build muscle.<\/p>\n

\u2018To build muscle, the human body must be continuously challenged by increasing resistance and\/or volume of exercise, which is known as progressive overload,\u2019 says Horan. Walking alone doesn\u2019t provide enough resistance to induce muscle hypertrophy \u2013 that is, an increase in muscle mass. She says that this is better accomplished through resistance training. <\/p>\n

The reason walking on its own can\u2019t stimulate muscle growth effectively? Walking activates your slow-twitch muscle fibres, which build muscular endurance and resistance to fatigue, as opposed to your fast-twitch muscles fibres, which build muscle mass, explains Horan. For context, your fast-twitch muscle fibres can be activated through weight lifting, jumping and sprinting.<\/p>\n

\u2018You can increase the intensity of walks to engage more muscles by adding inclines or a weighted vest, but ultimately you need a greater external stress on the body \u2013 like resistance training \u2013 in order to build muscle,\u2019 adds Lindsey Bomgren<\/a>, a certified personal trainer and the founder of Nourish, Move, Love<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That said, older research<\/a> suggests that aerobic exercise \u2013 like walking, running or cycling \u2013 can build muscle in older adults and sedentary folks. In fact, as per 2024 research published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity<\/a>, regular exercise of any intensity, including walking, may help to prevent age-related loss of muscle mass. So, yes, if you\u2019re older or live a more sedentary lifestyle, walking may help build muscle mass \u2013 but to gain strength, you\u2019re still better off lifting weights.<\/p>\n

The muscles that you work while walking<\/p>\n

The primary muscles that work to propel you forward when you walk include the following, according to Horan.<\/p>\n

Quadriceps<\/p>\n

The quadriceps, or quads<\/a>, are located on the front of your thighs and work to extend your knees when you take a step forward.<\/p>\n

Hamstrings<\/p>\n

The hamstrings<\/a> are located on the back of your thighs and are responsible for bending your knees and pulling your legs back as you walk.<\/p>\n

Glutes<\/p>\n

The glutes<\/a> stabilise your pelvis and pull your leg away from your body when you swing your legs forward to take another step.<\/p>\n

Calves<\/p>\n

The calves<\/a>, located on the back of your lower legs, move your feet and push them off the ground, moving you forward.<\/p>\n

The secondary muscles that walking helps to strengthen include your core and lower back muscles, which hold you up and allow you to maintain good posture as you move, says Horan. <\/p>\n

5 tips for building muscle while you walk<\/p>\n

Horan recommends walking for 30 minutes a day, five days a week at a moderate intensity. Moderate-intensity exercise should quicken your breathing, but not leave you breathless. Bomgren says that you can add certain variables to your walking routine, too, to put more of an emphasis on certain muscles. <\/p>\n

Since walking is not the most effective modality for building muscle and overall strength, it\u2019s important to do other types of activities that do build strength at least two days a week, like bodyweight exercises and lifting weights. <\/p>\n

Try these expert-led tips to elevate your chances of building muscle while you walk.<\/p>\n

1. Walk on an incline<\/p>\n

\u2018Walking up a hill \u2013 on a hike, for example \u2013 or a flight of stairs will activate your glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors and core muscles more than a flat surface,\u2019 says Bomgren. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not walking outside or don\u2019t want to climb your stairs over and over, try the 12-3-30 treadmill workout, which involves walking for 30 minutes at 3mph and a 12% incline, or the 25-7-2 stair climber workout, which involves using a stair climber for 25 minutes at level 7, twice a week, for an excellent burn.<\/p>\n

2. Use props to increase the intensity<\/p>\n

\u2018Rucking \u2013 which is wearing weights while you walk, such as ankle or wrist weights or a weighted vest \u2013 will increase the load while you\u2019re walking, which can help to strengthen your muscles,\u2019 says Erica Coviello<\/a>, a certified personal trainer and the founder of Run, Fit, Stoked<\/a>. Wearing a weighted vest will recruit more core muscles, while using poles<\/a> to do Nordic walking will activate more upper-body muscles, adds Bomgren. <\/p>\n

When it comes to adding weight, start gradually. Opt for the lightest weights \u2013 especially if you\u2019re new to resistance training \u2013 and work your way up to avoid injury. You\u2019ll know you\u2019re ready for heavier weights when the weights that you\u2019ve been using feel light and you\u2019re not as fatigued after your walk. <\/p>\n

3. Add strength-based exercises<\/p>\n

Because strength training<\/a> builds more muscle than walking, stop every five to 10 minutes on your walk to bust out a few reps of moves like squats<\/a> or lunges<\/a>. If you\u2019re walking outside, you can even use a park bench for push-ups or triceps dips. <\/p>\n

According to 2024 research published in Sports Medicine and Health Science<\/a>, \u2018exercise snacks\u2019 \u2013 repeated short bouts of physical activity, like banging out a set of sit-ups while you\u2019re waiting for your morning coffee to brew, or stopping to do some squats during a walk \u2013 can also benefit muscle growth. This is particularly beneficial for folks who are largely sedentary.<\/p>\n

4. Try some HIIT<\/p>\n

Incorporating interval training<\/a> into your walks \u2013 which involves alternating between high-intensity efforts and periods of low-intensity recovery \u2013 can help you to build more muscle than just walking at a slow, steady pace, says Bomgren. That\u2019s because the faster you walk, the harder your muscles have to work. <\/p>\n

You can start with a ratio of walking fast for one minute, followed by five minutes of walking slowly. As you get used to this cadence, you can increase the amount of time that you walk fast. <\/p>\n

5. Try different terrains<\/p>\n

\u2018Changing surfaces can help to strengthen some muscles and connective tissues in your ankles and legs,\u2019 says Coviello. Try walking on the beach or on some wooded or unpaved trails to add variety to your walking routine and work the muscles harder than you would on your normal pavement.<\/p>\n

Although it\u2019s unlikely that walking alone \u2013 especially on flat surfaces at a low intensity \u2013 is enough to build muscle, you can play with variables like intensity, resistance, incline and terrain to up your chances of seeing gains. Just don\u2019t forget to add some resistance training to your schedule to maximise your chances of increasing your muscle size and strength.<\/p>\n

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