Creative and Effective Ways to Add More Walking to Your Day

We’ve all heard it a million times – walking is a great exercise for your mind, body, and for weight loss. But did you know it’s also my favorite form of LISS (low-intensity steady-state cardio)?

That’s because it doesn’t raise cortisol levels, which can hamper weight loss and muscle growth, especially if you’re trying to gain muscle. Plus, it’s gentle on your joints and doesn’t leave you gasping for air like a HIIT workout might.

Sure, walking outside or in the woods sounds idyllic, but let’s be real – not everyone has the time or the safe surroundings to do that.

I live in a not-so-great neighborhood, so for me to walk, I’d have to get in my car and drive 20 minutes to a safer area. That’s something I often don’t have time for.

Walking can burn an extra 400+ calories per hour on average, and it doesn’t exhaust you or leave you out of breath. Harvard published a table listing calories burned depending on how much you weigh, which you can check out here.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to incorporate more walking into each day, and many don’t require you to go outside.

Awesome Perks of Walking

1. Weight Loss and Overall Health:

• Study Reference: A study published in the Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry found that walking for 50-70 minutes three times a week can significantly reduce visceral fat and improve insulin resistance in obese women.
• Key Point: Regular walking aids in weight loss and improves overall health metrics.

2. Cortisol Levels and Muscle Gain:

• Study Reference: Research from the Journal of Exercise and Nutrition indicates that moderate-intensity exercises like walking do not significantly increase cortisol levels compared to high-intensity workouts.
• Key Point: Walking is beneficial for muscle gain as it doesn’t elevate cortisol levels, which can impede muscle growth.

3. Boosts Your Mood:

• Study Reference: According to a study in Climanteric, increasing walking for just 500 steps more per week led to improvements in depression and anxiety, and it reduced insomnia.
• Key Point: Walking can boost your mood and help combat depression.

4. Strengthens Your Heart and Lungs:

• Study Reference: A study in the Current Opinion in Cardiology found that walking for at least 30 minutes a day 5 days a week can reduce the risk of heart disease by 19%.
• Key Point: Regular walking strengthens your heart and lungs, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Practical Ways to Add More Walking to Your Day

1. Indoor Walking Videos:

• Example: Leslie Sansone’s walking videos on YouTube are a great way to walk indoors. Her upbeat personality makes the time go by quickly.
• Benefit: These walking videos are accessible and varied workouts suitable for all fitness levels. If you’re sitting at your desk or slouching on the couch, all you have to do is stand up, and walk in place using her videos for 10, 15, 20, or 30 minutes, then sit back down. You don’t even have to leave your room.

2. Virtual Walking Challenges:

• Example: The Conqueror Events offers virtual walking challenges where you can earn medals and shirts for completing virtual routes around the globe. For example, you can complete a 45-mile walk around Tokyo or 33 miles around Paris. You set the timeframe you want to complete it in, so there’s no pressure.
• Benefit: Adds motivation and a sense of accomplishment.

3. Walking on a Treadmill:

• Suggestions: Use a treadmill with a laptop shelf to browse the internet while you’re walking, so you can work on your laptop or tablet, watch Netflix, or watch YouTube videos.
• Benefit: Allows you to accomplish several tasks at once without adding an additional time commitment. Also, the weather is never an excuse!
• Note: It’s easy to find cheap treadmills on places like Facebook Marketplace because so many people buy them then don’t use them. Then they sell them dirt cheap.

4. Dog Walking:

• Option: Walk your own dog or, better yet, volunteer at a local animal shelter to help homeless dogs who are starved for attention and exercise.
• Study Reference: A study in Nature found that dog owners walked significantly more than non-dog owners, enhancing overall physical activity. And volunteering has its own benefits, such as reducing stress and increasing feelings of happiness.
• Benefit: Combines exercise with the emotional benefits of spending time with animals. Relieves stress and anxiety and makes you feel good because you’re helping another living being.

5. Fun Walking Apps:

• Example: Apps like Zombies, Run! offer a gamified experience. Zombies, Run! gets you immersed in a captivating story that includes spurts of running, but you can just walk instead.
• Benefit: Adds fun and adventure to walking and makes the time go by quickly.

6. Walking Meetings:

• Tip: Suggest walking meetings with colleagues instead of sitting in a conference room.
• Benefit: Enhances productivity and physical activity simultaneously.

7. Try Nordic Walking:

• Option: Use Nordic walking poles to turn a regular walk into a full-body workout.
• Benefit: Increases calorie burn and engages upper body muscles, making your walk more effective.

8. Taking the Stairs:

• Tip: Opt for stairs instead of elevators whenever possible.
• Benefit: Boosts cardiovascular fitness and adds to your step count.

9. Orienteering:

• Tip: Join an orienteering club or use a map to navigate new walking routes.
• Benefit: Keeps walking interesting and engaging, and it’s a great mental exercise too.

With very little effort and just a bit of planning, it’s easy to up your step count and burn an extra 200 – 800 calories per day just by adding in more ways to walk throughout the day.

Remember, every step counts!

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