How much walking do we actually need each day to support our health? I recently contributed to a Metro feature exploring exactly that question and why the answer doesn’t necessarily come down to hitting 10,000 steps.
The article looks at the benefits of regular walking and whether aiming for around 20 to 30 minutes each day could be a more practical approach to increasing physical activity.
In my contribution, I discussed how walking can help people work towards the UK Chief Medical Officers’ recommendation of at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week.
I also highlighted an important point as we get older. Walking remains an excellent form of exercise, but it shouldn’t necessarily be the only thing we rely on.
As I explained to Metro:
“Walking remains one of the best forms of exercise at any age, but I’d encourage older adults to combine regular walking with strength and balance exercises at least twice a week to help maintain independence and reduce the risk of falls.”
The article also explored whether it matters if we accumulate our walking throughout the week or complete a longer walk at the weekend.
While a longer weekend walk still contributes towards your overall weekly activity, I explained that for supporting both physical and mental wellbeing, I would generally prefer to see someone walking for 20 to 30 minutes on most days rather than saving all of their activity for one day.
Ultimately, walking doesn’t require specialist equipment, a gym membership or a complicated programme. For many people, simply finding opportunities to move more frequently can be one of the most accessible ways to increase their overall physical activity.
You can read the full article and my contribution in Metro below.
Read the article HERE
