{"id":67313,"date":"2025-08-14T21:20:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T21:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/67313\/"},"modified":"2025-08-14T21:20:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T21:20:08","slug":"is-walking-enough-exercise-heres-what-doctors-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/67313\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Walking Enough Exercise? Here’s What Doctors Say"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m a huge fan of Japanese walking<\/a> \u2013 an interval-style pattern that\u2019s been linked to better blood pressure, increased muscle mass, and improved aerobic ability compared to regular ol\u2019 strolling. <\/p>\n

But medical experts roundly agree<\/a> that \u201cnormal\u201d walking is nothing to be sniffed at, either. Calling the exercise \u201coverlooked,\u201d the NHS said<\/a> the movement can improve your heart health and increase your stamina.<\/p>\n

A recent paper published in The Lancet<\/a> found that people who took 7,000 steps a day enjoyed a 47% risk reduction<\/a> in all-cause mortality, with decreased likelihood of developing heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and depression.<\/p>\n

Which begs the question: amazing as walking can be for our health, is it enough exercise on its own (ie, without strength training<\/a>)? <\/p>\n

We asked hospital doctor and consultant practitioner, Dr Hussain Ahmad<\/a>, and GP Dr Suzanne Wylie<\/a> to share their thoughts.<\/p>\n

Will walking keep me healthy if I don\u2019t do any other exercise?<\/p>\n

Both doctors told us that speed and duration matter.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re aiming to maintain general health, brisk walking for at least 150 minutes a week (about 30 minutes a day, five days a week) can help reduce the risk of heart disease, improve mood, and support weight management,\u201d Dr Ahmad said.<\/p>\n

Brisk walking \u2013 which the doctor explained \u201cmeans you\u2019re walking fast enough to feel warmer and breathe a bit harder, but still able to hold a conversation\u201d \u2013 has been linked to<\/a> a 20% reduction in premature death compared to 4% for slower walkers.<\/p>\n

Dr Wylie agreed that walking for 30 minutes a day can help us manage our stress levels and encourage better sleep. <\/p>\n

It also \u201cimproves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke, supports a healthy weight, and strengthens muscles and bones, benefits that become increasingly important as we age,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

Even small bouts of movement, like taking the stairs and going on a lunchtime stroll around the office, can help, the GP told us. <\/p>\n

\u201cFor maintaining basic fitness and preventing many chronic conditions,\u201d she stated, \u201cbrisk walking is highly effective\u201d.<\/p>\n

Do I have to strength train if I walk a lot?<\/p>\n

If you want to build muscle, which is especially important as we age<\/a>, the doctors say strength training is key. <\/p>\n

\u201cResistance training, balance work, or more vigorous cardio can help round out a routine,\u201d Dr Wylie advised.<\/p>\n

For his part, Dr Ahmad told us: \u201cWalking alone might not be enough if you want to build muscle strength, improve balance, or boost bone density.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor a well-rounded approach, it\u2019s worth adding some resistance or bodyweight exercises (like squats, lunges, or push-ups) twice a week, and activities that challenge your balance and flexibility.\u201d <\/p>\n

Still, both experts agree that when it comes to maintaining your health, walking quickly for at least half an hour a day is remarkably effective. <\/p>\n

After all, \u201cThe most important step is consistency: making daily movement a habit in whatever form fits your body, lifestyle, and goals,\u201d Dr Wylie shared.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I\u2019m a huge fan of Japanese walking \u2013 an interval-style pattern that\u2019s been linked to better blood pressure,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":67314,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[6647,102,56,54,55,6899],"class_list":{"0":"post-67313","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-fitness","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom","13":"tag-walking"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67313\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}