The Best Walking Workout for Non-Exercisers

Walking for exercise

Have you been keeping an eye on your Cardio Fitness Score? It’s not just for über-fit athletes. Quite the opposite, actually: Mounting evidence shows that people with low cardiorespiratory fitness are at a greater risk of dying from heart disease, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). In other words, it’s the least fit who should be trying to improve their score the most.

Exercise Works

High-intensity exercise is touted as the most efficient way to boost fitness levels, but those types of workouts aren’t always realistic for people who rarely exercise. So researchers analyzed multiple studies on the effects of lower-intensity exercise and uncovered some good news.

First, moderate-intensity exercise (not just high-intensity exercise) can also improve cardio fitness levels among the unfit.

Second, people with the lowest levels of cardio fitness stand to reap the biggest rewards: More than half of the reduction in all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality takes place when you move from the least-fit group to the next least-fit group.

That means a person who goes from being sedentary to active will experience a greater reduction in their risk of dying from heart disease than someone who’s already fit and gets a little bit fitter.

You don’t have to do crazy amounts of exercise to get these results, either. After analyzing walking-intervention studies, the AHA concluded that sedentary individuals who begin following current exercise guidelines—150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, like brisk walking, a week—can boost their cardio fitness by 10 percent.

And that’s not all. In one meta-analysis, the brisk walkers also reduced their body weight 1.4 percent, their body fat 1.9 percent, and their systolic and diastolic blood pressure a total of 2.8 percent—all without changing their diet.

These results are “modest but meaningful,” say UK study authors and are “likely to result in greater ease of performance of everyday physical activities and improved quality of life.”  

4 Heart-Friendly Walking Rules

Ready to get started? Now that you know all the reasons why walking for exercise is so important, it’s time to put that research into practice. Here’s how:

  • Aim to briskly walk about 150 minutes a week. That translates to about 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
  • You can do these walks in one continuous session or in multiple sessions throughout the day.
  • During these walks, your average heart rate should be 50 to 70 percent of your max heart rate, or in your Fitbit tracker’s fat burn heart rate zone.
  • If your overall volume of exercise consistently falls below 150 minutes a week, you’ll need to do those walks at a slightly higher intensity to see results: 70 to 85 percent of your max, or in your Fitbit tracker’s cardio zone.

When these workouts get too easy, ease into intervals—intense exercise is still the best way for fit individuals to keep improving their cardio fitness score.

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    • If you still o wouldld think its ok im 85 years old i walk 30 min 5 days a week than ride a stationary bike on sT. For 20 min plus try not to eat out i cook at home watch my soduim level carb and sugar

      • I’m impressed. I usually meet my goal of walking and and meet my goal of bicycling. Trying to keep out sugar out of my diet I have pretty well kept fried foods and every usually I have baked and roasted veggies and that kinda is my diet except I make lots of fruit salads I’m 73 years old.
        Do you have any problems with your weight?

  • Hi: I’m currently in the city of Munich and will be here for the next five days. I have lost my Fitbit charger and am unable to record the number of steps etc in my exercise routine. Can you p,ease let me know where I can go in Munich to purchase a batter recharger?

  • Just got my Fitbit charger 2. Charger it seems to be calculating steps that I’m not actually taking. Does it take time to adjust to your stride or is there something I need to do or not doing correctly that is throwing the steps off?

    • I had a brain haemmorhage 2 yrs ago and can only walk with a Zimmer frame I have atrial fibrillation and take meds for this . I cannot walk outdoors so am limited ‘re steps and excercise how do i remain in good health given my health problems. I have managed approx 620 steps since 5pm to 11am will know better after resetting my fitbit .ime retaining fluid so am disturbed during night to use commode. Advise how best to improve my mobility.ime 72 yrs old

  • I am an expertise lover. But in the past years i have been diagnosed with neuropathy. Plus muscle spasms. I was in a head on collision in 1991. I was told I would never walk again. I proved the doctors wrong. With strong commitment iI did 1/2 MARATHON IN 2005. My problem is when I sleep at night when its gets bad. Have you any suggestions , to improve my walking with our back problems and muscle spasms. Very frustrated

    • I know it sounds crazy but I purchased a product advertised on TV because I have several of your same problems. The product is Theraworx Relief and I found it at my local pharmacy. To my shock it wotks when I am awakened by debilitating muscle spasms in the middle of the night. I mean it..I do not work for this co. I am not a salesperson. I am a 73 yr old retired teacher wha has been diabetic well over 50 yrs with severe neuropathy, etc. I hope you CAN find this product. Magnesium sulfate is the main or top ingredient. Avedim Technologies in Asheville, NC makes it. I DO NOT WORK FOR THEM OR ANYONE ELSE. Just reaching out with something I discovered that WORKS for me.

  • You may call it walking but I would call it hiking. We are in Montana and I started hiking into the hills where we live. I had increased my hiking to just over 7.5 miles and it was using over 3 hours. I increased the gear I carry and dropped my distance to 4 miles during which I consume the same amount of water. It looks to me as if carrying some extra weight can make up for less time in an activity.

  • Sometimes I think my Fitbit is giving me too much credit. When I sit in my rocking chair and rock my grandchild, I notice my number of steps increasing. Should this be happening?

  • 7 yr. Ago JULY 13 I had a TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY the Dr. Said I was unlikely to recover I was pretty much a vegetable I did give a darn if tommorrow ever came then I started walking and was happy with a 1/2 k walk minutesthen I set goals that I had to do at least 1 more. Lap or more every time until I set a goal of 100 laps before my 70 birthday I would have a pocket full of raisins and put 1 in the other pocket every lap each lap was 1/4 k when I walked what I thought was 102 laps at 6 hr. With 2 10 min. Stops when I counted the raisins I had done 106 laps. 26.5 k I advanced my workouts and today I am quite well I owe it mostly to exercise and I found it extremely important to me to keep track every day to push myself

  • I walk 70 min/per day at 3.3 mph continuous. I am in good health and 85 years old. I have been doing this for five years. In addition I like to do frequent causal walking during the day. I really do enjoy this. Might this much walking be harmful? Thank you.

  • I walk on a treadmill in a pool for physical therapy, is there a way to add my PT time to my fit bit? I’m recovering from back surgery and want to keep track of those steps too.

  • Looking to buy a exercise bike for home. Live in a small apartment so it can not be to big. If someone can recommend one would appreciate

  • What about people like me who have to use a cal for wslking? How do we compensate.? Which are shoul we use for the cane. Also it turns out to be a liesurely stroll. Any value?

  • I would like to know if anyone has more recently read this article? I’m a former athlete (pro-rugby, ski, cross-country, track) and autoimmune problems & back surgery haven’t stopped me BUT there are days I can’t do anything, days I’m fine, and days my neuropathy and recent spasms cause mis-steps or tumbles. Hilarious maybe but, well, ya know. I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts, thanks and stay healthy!

  • I have years of continuous back and leg pain this makes me walk with a cane and I walk with a forward tilt . After many pain clinics chiropractic services ect it is still extremely difficult for me to walk will I get the same heath results riding a stationary bike or rowing machine as I can do these pretty well? Any other suggestions on walking or exercise would be appreciated.

  • Is walking 45 minutes a day good enough for me. I am 63 years old, I work 10 hrs 4 days a week. I stand & sit at my job. I work in a factory, get up at 2am. Start work 5am-3:30pm.

  • I’ve had a stroke on my right side and cannot walk fast I’ve also had a heart transplant. I was always active before this happen. The stroke has slowed me down a lot. How does this article about walking apply to me. Sometimes I can’t even get outside tutu Extremes in weather temperatures! I take walks whenever I can at a slower Pace. But this doesn’t seem to fit in with your article!

  • Totally excited for this new journey blessed Honey got me this Fitbit …super stoked to track results & see the progress..week 1 already …May we all reach our personal goals & enjoy healthier lifestyle ‍♀️….thanks for a wonderful community of supporters

  • I have walking a lot and water walking and lost a lot from 265 to240 love it and of course watching what I eat

  • Hey there.. can anyone tell me how to set up my Fitbit Versa just to do walking ?? I can only see running etc and the closest I can get to it is using the treadmill app.. Any help would be appreciated

  • I have just booked up to start Nordic walking. I’m luck to live in Cornwall butbi never explore it. Beginner’s class starts tomorrow. I’m sure will love it as the walks are around the beautiful coastal paths and national heritage walks of Cornwall (west). Hoping to clock up the steps and bitn the calories. I’m 64 on Tuesday. New start new me.

  • When I first was given a fitbit braclet from my daughter I was so pleased. I would walk each day and go on fitbit and it had my steps registered. That no longer happens and hasn’t happened for weeks! What happened??? It would also inform me of my length of sleep. What happened? So, I would love to see this fixed on my SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB A. THANX

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