Think walking isn’t enough exercise? 7 simple ways to make every step count
- Rob Kemp
Published: November 11, 2026 at 3:28 PM
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Walking is one of the easiest ways to improve your health and a few simple changes can turn an everyday stroll into a surprisingly effective workout
Walking is one of the most accessible forms of exercise, requiring little more than a comfortable pair of shoes and a willingness to get moving. Done regularly, it can improve cardiovascular health, help manage weight, support blood sugar control and boost mental wellbeing. And unlike more demanding workouts, it's something most people can fit around their everyday lives.
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But there's a difference between walking for general activity and walking to improve fitness. While a leisurely stroll is always worthwhile, making small adjustments to your speed, terrain and duration can increase the demands on your heart, lungs and muscles.
"Walking is one of the simplest and most accessible ways to improve overall health," says Joseph Monachello, expert trainer at EGYM Hussle. "Different walking speeds place different demands on the body, meaning that the ideal pace will vary depending on an individual's fitness level and experience."
You don't need to turn every walk into a gruelling workout, invest in expensive equipment or obsess over your step count. Here are seven expert-backed ways to make your walks work harder.
1. Pick up the pace – but don't go flat out
The simplest way to make walking more effective is to increase your speed. A brisk walk requires more energy than a gentle stroll, raises your heart rate and challenges your cardiovascular system.
But how fast is fast enough? Monachello suggests thinking in terms of three broad intensity levels. An easy stroll, typically around 1-3km/h, can help beginners establish a routine and improve mobility. Moderate or brisk walking, roughly 3-5km/h, places greater demands on the heart and lungs, while faster walking above 5km/h can provide a more challenging cardiovascular workout.
These are only rough guides, however. Your height, age, fitness and the terrain all influence how hard a particular speed feels.
Sports medicine doctor Tetiana Tereshchenko, who works with walking fitness app WalkFit, recommends an even simpler measure: the talk test. "During a brisk walk, your breathing should become faster, but you should still be able to hold a conversation, but not able enough to sing," she explains. "If you can comfortably sing, you may need to pick up the pace a little."
For beginners, there's no need to chase a particular speed. Start comfortably and gradually increase your pace as your stamina improves.
"Walking consistently is more important than walking fast," adds Monachello. "The key is to build a consistent routine which suits your current fitness levels, physical ability and lifestyle."
2. Head for the hills
Want to make your usual walk more challenging without covering extra miles? Find a hill.
Walking uphill forces your muscles to work harder against gravity, particularly your glutes, quadriceps and calves. Your heart and lungs also have to work harder to supply those muscles with oxygen.
"Adding inclines, hills or stairs increases the physical demand of walking without necessarily requiring you to move much faster," explains Monachello.
Tereshchenko points to research showing that walking on a treadmill at a 5% incline increased the metabolic cost of walking by an average of 52%, while a 10% incline increased it by 113%, compared with walking on the flat under the study conditions.
That doesn't mean everyone will burn twice as many calories on a steep hill, but it demonstrates how significantly gradient can influence effort.
If you live somewhere flat, stairs or a treadmill incline provide alternatives. A StairMaster offers a more sustained stepping challenge, but you don't need gym equipment to enjoy the benefits.
"Start with manageable inclines and build gradually," advises Monachello. "Try adding a few uphill sections to a familiar route, maintaining a pace at which you can still control your breathing."
Keep your steps relatively short, maintain an upright posture and avoid leaning excessively forwards. If you have knee, hip or ankle problems, introduce hills and stairs cautiously.
3. Try interval walking
If you've ever struggled to maintain a fast walking pace for more than a few minutes, interval walking could be the answer.
The idea is simple: alternate short bursts of brisk walking with easier recovery periods. It's a little like interval training at the gym, only without the sprinting or high-impact movements.
"Alternating faster periods with slower recovery periods allows you to spend some time working at a higher intensity without having to maintain that effort throughout the entire walk," says Monachello.
The faster sections challenge your cardiovascular system, while the slower periods allow your breathing and heart rate to settle. Over time, this can help improve stamina, walking speed and your ability to sustain more demanding activity.
Tereshchenko recommends starting with one minute of brisk walking followed by one minute at a comfortable pace. Repeat the pattern five to ten times, with a gentle warm-up and cool-down.
Don't worry if you need longer recovery periods initially. Even 30 seconds of faster walking can provide a useful starting point.
And there's no need to make every session progressively harder. As Monachello explains, intervals aren't automatically superior to steady walking. Both can improve fitness, so choose whichever you enjoy and can maintain.
4. Mix longer walks with shorter bursts of movement
Is it better to complete one hour-long walk or three 20-minute sessions? Fortunately, you don't have to choose.
"Neither approach is inherently better; the most effective option depends on your goals, current fitness levels and daily routines," says Monachello.
Longer walks are useful for developing endurance. Sustaining movement for 30, 45 or 60 minutes helps your body adapt to prolonged activity, making longer hikes or days on your feet feel easier.
Shorter walks, meanwhile, can be invaluable for breaking up sedentary days. A ten-minute walk before work, a lunchtime circuit of the park or a stroll after dinner can all contribute to your activity levels.
UK physical activity guidelines recommend adults accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, alongside muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days. Brisk walking can count towards that aerobic activity target, and it doesn't need to happen in one continuous session.
"If your goal is to improve cardiovascular fitness and stamina, try to gradually build towards longer periods of brisk walking, while keeping shorter walks throughout the day where possible," advises Tereshchenko.
The best approach may be a combination: shorter walks on busy weekdays and a longer outing at the weekend.
5. Don't get too hung up on 10,000 steps
Fitness trackers have made step counts a daily obsession, with 10,000 steps often treated as the magic number for good health.
But it's not a compulsory target, and there's no reason to consider a day unsuccessful simply because you've fallen short.
For someone currently averaging 3,000 steps, increasing to 5,000 represents a meaningful improvement. Equally, a brisk 30-minute walk may provide a greater cardiovascular challenge than accumulating the same number of steps at a leisurely pace.
"Consistency is more important than trying to hit an arbitrary step count every day," says Monachello.
His advice is to start from your existing activity level and build gradually, allowing your body time to adapt. Try adding a short walk after lunch, taking the stairs occasionally or getting off public transport a stop earlier.
The goal isn't simply to accumulate steps for their own sake, but to create opportunities for regular movement throughout the day.
6. Think twice before adding weights
Weighted vests and loaded backpacks have become increasingly popular ways to make walking more challenging. But are they worth the effort?
"Adding resistance can make walking more demanding, but it is not essential to get good results," says Monachello.
Carrying additional weight increases the load on your muscles and can raise energy expenditure. However, it also places extra stress on your knees, hips, back and feet. If you're determined to try it, Monachello generally favours a properly fitted weighted vest over carrying hand weights, which can interfere with your natural arm swing and strain your upper body.
A securely fitted backpack is another option, provided the load is comfortable and evenly distributed.
But beginners, particularly those with joint problems, back pain or balance difficulties, are better off building fitness through regular walking before considering additional resistance.
"For most people, walking a little faster, adding an incline or introducing intervals will be a more accessible starting point than carrying extra weight," says Monachello.
And remember, while weighted walking increases muscular effort, it isn't a substitute for dedicated strength training.
7. Make your walking routine something you'll stick to
Perhaps the biggest mistake is believing every walk must leave you breathless to count as exercise.
Walking works best when it becomes a sustainable habit rather than another demanding task on your to-do list.
Some days that might mean a brisk 30-minute lunchtime walk. On others, a gentle stroll after dinner or a longer weekend ramble might be more appealing.
You can also vary your route, explore local parks, walk with friends or use your regular journeys as opportunities to move more.
"The key is to find a balance between structured walks that challenge your fitness and everyday movement that helps you stay active," says Tereshchenko. "Both have a role to play, and the best routine is one you can maintain consistently."
Try this: the 20-minute walking workout
A simple interval session from EGYM Hussle trainer Joseph Monachello, suitable for adapting to your fitness level.
Minutes 0-5: Warm up
Walk at a comfortable pace, gradually increasing your speed as your muscles warm up.
Minutes 5-17: Pick up the pace
Alternate one minute of brisk walking with one minute at an easier recovery pace. Repeat six times. Aim to feel challenged during the faster sections without becoming completely breathless.
Minutes 17-20: Cool down
Reduce your speed gradually until your breathing begins to return to normal.
Ready to progress? Increase the brisk intervals to 90 seconds or two minutes, introduce a gentle incline or extend the overall session. Change one element at a time rather than increasing everything together.
The takeaway: You don't need to run, join a gym or turn every walk into a workout to improve your health. A little more pace, an occasional hill and regular movement can make a significant difference. The best walk is the one you'll actually do.
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Rob Kemp
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