The benefits of walking are well documented, from improved mood to better cardiovascular health, weight management, stronger muscles and more. Walking is such an effective way to move your body that it can even reduce risk of disease and extend your lifespan.
But if you're someone who doesn't enjoy exercise and struggles to find the motivation, you may find yourself wondering how much walking is really necessary to protect your health long-term.
Many studies have looked the effects of walking different lengths and for different amounts of time on disease and lifespan, and generally speaking, it seems the more you walk, the more health benefits you'll reap, especially if you're shifting from a relatively sedentary lifestyle.
Here's what one researcher previously told TODAY.com about how much to walk to reduce your mortality risk.
Longevity Tip of the Day: Walk 11 Minutes Every Day to Prevent Disease and Early Death
A 2023 review of 196 studies that included roughly 30 million participants found that 11 minutes of walking every day, with the goal of making your heart beat faster, can prevent 1 in 10 premature deaths. Walking 11 minutes daily also reduced the risk of developing heart disease by 17%, cancer by 7% and dropped premature death risk by 23%, the review found.
“Our results are encouraging for those who currently do very little activity; it really makes a big difference to your health if you manage to do just a little bit, so we hope that would motivate more people to move,” Søren Brage, Ph.D., co-author of the paper and head of the Physical Activity Epidemiology group at the University of Cambridge, told TODAY.com.
Why It Matters
“Physical activity encompasses not just sweating it out in the gym. It is broader than that and includes also walking or cycling to work … just getting up and using the big muscles in the legs, moving to stimulate the metabolism — it is how we are designed, and if we do not use our muscles, they waste away," Brage added.
Other benefits of regular physical activity include reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, preventing weight gain and chronic diseases, more energy and better sleep.
How to Get Started
Set the goal of walking 11 minutes daily for a few weeks and notice how it makes you feel. Once you feel you're comfortable walking 77 minutes a week, you can try to increase your activity to 150 minutes a week, the amount recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
You can also download the Start TODAY app for customized walking plans for a range of fitness levels with best-in-class trainers.
TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.
