This One Change Will Make Your Walks More Effective, According to Personal Trainers
Decades of scientific research show that walking is one of the best ways to support your health. Walking regularly lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease, plays a role in dementia prevention, lowers depression risk and can even add years to your life.Another thing that's great about walking? Pretty much anyone can do it. It's one of those low-impact workouts that people are able to do into old age (with the right shoes, of course), and it's a lot less intimidating to get started with than heart-pounding cardio workouts like running or HIIT exercises.
Want to take your walks to the next level so they benefit your health even more? Here, three personal trainers reveal the best way to do it.
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If one of your health goals is weight loss, you may be wondering if walking can help you reach your goal weight. Casey Lee, CPT,a certified personal trainer at Purposeful Strength, says it absolutely can. 'Walking is an amazing way to lose weight. One reason is that it's a non-fatiguing movement. You can walk for miles and your body can recover quicker for the next day or walking effort,' he explains.
Lee reveals that another reason why walking is beneficial for weight loss is that it doesn't increase appetite the way more intense workouts, like high-intensity interval training, do. 'Doing more intense efforts like HIIT can often cause your body to crave more food, or fuel in this case. Because walking is lower stress, your body doesn't often demand more food to help recover. This makes walking a great activity to support weight loss,' he says.
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If you aren't used to regularly exercising, Andrea Lepcio, CPT, a certified personal trainer and the founder and owner of Mighty Fit, says that walking is a great way to start incorporating movement into your routine. 'For people who have been sedentary over time, are older and are just starting to exercise, walking is a gentle yet effective way to engage muscles, build stamina and improve energy,' she explains.
Lepcio adds that other benefits of walking are that it's low-impact, can be done daily without straining your body, reduces stress and supports blood sugar levels. And she mentions that walking also encourages the production of non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), which is a term that describes activities that burn calories throughout the day. The higher your NEAT, the easier it is to lose weight.
Even though walking can support weight loss goals, Lepcio explains that it works best when paired with regular strength training. This is because strength training helps build muscle mass, which increases metabolic rate. This means you're burning calories even when you aren't working out.
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If you already walk regularly, you may be wondering how you can take your walks to the next level. Three personal trainers all agree on the best way to do this: increase your heart rate. A high heart rate is an indicator that the body is working harder, which means it will benefit more.
There are several ways to get your heart rate up while you're walking. Vinn Reddy, CPT, a certified personal trainer and the founder of Vinn Reddy Personal Training Fitness, says that one way is to increase your pace. Walking faster requires the cardiovascular system to work harder—which ultimately means it will benefit more than when it is at rest.
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'When you're walking, engage your core, maintain good posture and focus on a consistent breathing pattern,' Reddy recommends. This may sound easy, but as your pace increases, it becomes more challenging, so it's something to be mindful of.
He explains that another way to increase your heart rate on your walks is to take a more challenging course. Seek out hills and stairs that are naturally part of your environment. 'Going through a neighborhood that has highs and lows is a good way to make your heart rate fluctuate and challenge your body,' he says.
All three experts say that wearing a weighted vest can also make walks more effective. 'By adding weight to your body, you are increasing the metabolic demand of the walk, really by doing the same level of exercise. Your legs are walking anyway, but this way they're carrying more weight and making the muscles and metabolism work harder,' Lee says. Reddy adds to this, saying that wearing a weighted vest activates the core more, which is another reason why it's beneficial.
No matter how you're getting your heart rate up, Reddy stresses that it's important to stay hydrated, especially if you are trying to lose weight. 'Dehydration will stunt your weight loss and affect your body negatively. It may slow you down on your pace or fatigue your muscles, so you may not walk as frequently,' he says. With this in mind, be sure to hydrate both before and after your walk.
Walking is a simple yet powerful way to support your health. For best results, do it consistently. It just may add years to your life.
Up Next:Casey Lee, CPT,certified personal trainer at Purposeful Strength
Andrea Lepcio, CPT, certified personal trainer and the founder and owner of Mighty Fit
Vinn Reddy, CPT, certified personal trainer and the founder of Vinn Reddy Personal Training Fitness
This One Change Will Make Your Walks More Effective, According to Personal Trainers first appeared on Parade on Jul 12, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
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