4 Ways to make your 5,000 steps a day more effective
While a daily walk is a low-effort way to prioritise your health, there are a few things you can do to bulk it up and really make it worth your while.
Something that the entire world learned during the COVID-19 pandemic was the importance of getting out of your house.
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During a time when people's mental health was hanging by a thread, the daily walk became more than a way to stay healthy; it was a way to stay sane.
We've always been told that 10,000 steps a day is what a person needs to hit every day, but that's always seemed slightly dubious and excessive.
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No matter how many steps you manage to reach, research has found and confirmed that frequent walking has a plethora of benefits.
The perception that high-intensity workouts or hours of running/biking/swimming are the only effective exercise methods is completely wrong.
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Matthew Nolan, the chief instructor at Barry's New York City, a business specialising in bootcamp-style fitness classes, emphasises the advantages of walking.
Physically, it will improve cardiovascular health by strengthening the heart, thereby helping circulation, lowering blood pressure, and helping in the prevention of heart disease and stroke. The release of the endorphins while walking will help boost mood and overall mental state.
A physical therapist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, Tyler Moldoff, says that people with chronic lower back pain and knee pain can also benefit from a regular walking regimen.
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Daily walking can also help build muscle strength, improve joint health, and bone strength.
If you feel you are still not getting enough out of your walks, there are simple ways in which to make them more challenging and effective.
There is substantial evidence, thanks to research, that something as simple as walking can be an exceptional form of exercise when done properly.
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In this context, "done properly" means 50 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week, equal to at least 30 minutes of walking, five days a week, aiming for 5,000 to 10,000 steps (or more) daily.
Once you hit this goal consistently, here are additional ways, provided by experts, to increase your strength and endurance during your walks.
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1. Try interval jogging or speed walking
Everyone always pokes fun at speedwalkers and how funny people look while doing it.
You don't have to push yourself to Olympic-level speedwalking, but a faster pace or an occasional jog, at certain points in your workout, can be beneficial.
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Like interval-based training, you can incorporate a similar approach into your walk if you can't yet maintain a fast walking pace for the full 30-plus minutes.
Example: start small with a 30-second jog or a minute-long speed walk and increase the duration when your body feels ready.
Walking to fast-paced music can also make your exercise more intense and help you maintain a fast pace.
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2. Add strength training to your walk
You can do this by adding light weights to your walk or taking breaks to do bodyweight exercises, such as squats, lunges, or push-ups, at points along the walk to activate different muscle groups.
Weights for walking: you can find ankle or wrist weights, weighted vests, or, if you are keeping to a budget, a backpack filled with books, all of which are just as effective as an added challenge.
Be cautious when you start adding these things to your workout, and don't try to push yourself too hard, too fast, which can lead to injury.
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Bodyweight exercises during walks: Plan your walk ahead of time and designate spots, such as your driveway or a local park, for bodyweight training.
Writing out your workout in advance can also help you hold yourself accountable, e.g., five push-ups, 15 crunches, and a one-minute plank repeated three times.
Do whatever works for you, and be sure to switch up your strength workout to target different muscles.
Simply by doing that, you can help increase your metabolic rate, which improves your oxygen consumption, and that relates to a greater calorie burn. This can strengthen the muscle groups of the leg.
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3. Or walk along a hilly path
Another easy win is walking a path that includes a few hills.
Walking downhill has been shown to:
- improve muscle strength in the lower extremities
- reduce the stress put on the cardiovascular system
It will likely be less stressful on our breathing and our heart rate. It will make it more comfortable, but at the same time, you’re actually improving your muscle strength more effectively relative to simply level walking.
Walking uphill can be more challenging for your cardiovascular system, and some research suggests it can benefit people with knee joint issues.
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4. Keep up a quick walking speed
Moderate-intensity walking is brisk, not at a snail's pace.
The intensity of aerobic activity is typically measured relative to your heart rate, and it can be hard to know your exact heart rate during a walk.
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Moldoff again states that a good way to ensure you’re pushing yourself is to listen to a fast-paced song starting at 100 beats per minute and move to its beat.
You can simply do a quick Google, Spotify, or Apple Music search for different genres of songs that are enjoyable at 100 beats per minute, and then try to sync your cadence to the beat.
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Make sure you work up a bit of a sweat, with some slightly heavier breathing after a few minutes, and you’ll be hitting that moderate intensity.
If 100 beats isn't doing it for you, find songs with 110 or 120 beats per minute instead.
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Extra advice
- It's important to stay consistent no matter your walking regimen.
- The benefits of walking are best obtained through regular, consistent practice.
- Aim for at least 30 minutes most days of the week.
- Take days off when you need them.
- Listen to your body for any signs of pain or discomfort.
- It will take time to build up enough strength and endurance to incorporate walking challenges.
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