\u201cMental health<\/a> is also a great benefit to walking. The release of the endorphins while walking will help boost mood and overall mental state,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, daily walking can help build bone and muscle strength and improve joint health, said Nolan. In fact, people with chronic lower back pain and knee pain can benefit from a regular walking regimen, said Tyler Moldoff<\/a>, a physical therapist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really been exciting more recently seeing a lot of new research coming out about how something as simple as walking can really be an exceptional exercise, when done properly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n To Moldoff, \u201cdone properly\u201d means getting 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week. This equates to at least 30 minutes of walking<\/a>, five days a week \u2014 and you should aim for 5,000 to 10,000 steps (or more) daily.<\/p>\n Once you hit these requirements, there are additional ways to get even more out of your exercise regimen. Below, experts share what you can do to challenge yourself while building up strength and endurance during your walks:<\/p>\n 1. Keep up a quick walking speed.<\/p>\n U.S. government guidelines note<\/a> that adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week, which can include brisk walking \u2014 but not walking at a snail\u2019s pace.<\/p>\n Moldoff said the intensity of aerobic activity is typically measured in relation to your heart rate.<\/p>\n While it can be hard to know your exact heart rate during a walk, a good way to ensure you\u2019re pushing yourself is to listen to a fast-paced song \u2014 starting at, say, 100 beats per minute \u2014 and then move to the music\u2019s beat, Moldoff added.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can simply do a Google search or even on Spotify or Apple Music, look for different genres of songs that may be enjoyable for individuals at 100 beats per minute, and then trying to sync your cadence to the beat of the song,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if you\u2019re following along [to a] song that is … 100 beats per minute, you can be sure that after a few minutes you\u2019ll start to work up a little bit of a breath and you\u2019ll be hitting that moderate intensity.\u201d<\/p>\n If that tempo feels too slow for you, look up songs that are 110 or 120 beats per minute instead.<\/p>\n And as a bonus, music makes walking more enjoyable, Moldoff said.<\/p>\n 2. Try interval jogging or speed walking.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not quite ready to maintain a fast walking pace for all 30-plus minutes of your walk, consider incorporating a faster pace at select times during your workout.<\/p>\n Nolan said that in Barry\u2019s classes, instructors frequently do interval-based training, which you can try in your walk, too.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can do [this] at home by incorporating short bursts of fast walking or even jogging to increase intensity,\u201d Nolan stated.<\/p>\n For example, you might start small with a 30-second jog or minute-long speed walk and increase the duration when your body feels ready.<\/p>\n \u2018Japanese Walking\u2019<\/a> has recently gone viral as a low-impact interval training method that asks you to walk for three minutes at a fast pace and slowly for another three minutes. Repeat this five times for a 30-minute workout.<\/p>\n andreswd via Getty Images<\/p>\n Walking to music with a fast tempo can make your exercise more intense and help you maintain a fast pace.<\/p>\n 3. Add strength training to your walk.<\/p>\n \u201cYou could also walk with light weights or do some simple body weight exercises like squats, lunges or pushups during points of the walk to work different muscle groups,\u201d Nolan said.<\/p>\n To start, simply plan your walk ahead of time and pick some designated places, such as your driveway or a local park, to do some body weight training. Writing out your workout in advance can also help you hold yourself accountable.<\/p>\n You might do five pushups, 15 crunches and a one-minute plank repeated three times, or whatever combination makes sense for you. Just be sure to switch up your strength workout to target different muscles in your exercise regimen. <\/p>\n You could also try walking with a weighted vest<\/a> or a backpack filled with books for an added challenge, Moldoff said.<\/p>\n \u201cSimply by doing that, you can help increase your metabolic rate, which improves your oxygen consumption, and that relates to a greater calorie burn,\u201d he stated, adding that this can \u201cstrengthen the muscle groups of the leg.\u201d <\/p>\n 4. Or walk along a hilly path.<\/p>\n Walking on a path with hills is another way to boost your daily walk, Moldoff said.<\/p>\n Walking downhill has been shown to improve<\/a> muscle strength in the lower extremities and reduce the stress<\/a> that\u2019s put on the cardiovascular system, he stated.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, interestingly enough, it will likely be less stressful on our breathing and our heart rate,\u201d Moldoff noted. \u201cIt will make it more comfortable, but at the same time, you\u2019re actually improving your muscle strength more effectively relative to simply level walking.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Walking](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/669155542300005400d038dd.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n