Walking for fitness

Walking is the simplest form of exercise. It is free, needs no equipment beyond comfortable shoes, and suits almost every age and level of fitness. Walked briskly, it counts towards the 150 minutes of moderate activity a week recommended for adults.

How fast is brisk?

The NHS describes a brisk walk as about three miles an hour, faster than a stroll. At that pace it is possible to talk but not to sing. A brisk walk of ten minutes a day already brings health benefits, and the NHS offers a free phone app that records brisk minutes.

Benefits

Regular brisk walking builds stamina, strengthens the heart, helps to control weight and lifts mood. It is weight-bearing, so it also helps to maintain bone strength, and it carries a very low risk of injury.

Getting started

• People who are not very active begin with short walks and increase the distance gradually.
• Shoes or trainers need to be comfortable, give support and not rub. For regular longer walks or rough ground, a waterproof jacket and walking shoes or boots are worthwhile.
• On long walks a small rucksack carries water, a snack, a spare layer, sunscreen and a hat.

Making it a habit

• Walking all or part of the way to work, school or the shops.
• Getting off the bus a stop early, and using stairs in place of lifts.
• A regular walk with a friend or relative, or after the evening meal.
• Varying the route through parks, along canals and rivers, and across commons and woodland.
• Music or a podcast to keep up a steady rhythm.

Walking faster and further

Fitness improves when the walk becomes harder: a quicker pace, a longer distance, hills, or stretches of fast walking alternated with easier ones. Swinging bent arms and taking quicker, not longer, steps raises the pace. Walking with poles, known as Nordic walking, brings the arms and shoulders into use and takes some load off the knees.

Walking with others

Led group walks are held across the United Kingdom by walkers' organisations and local health schemes, many of them short and aimed at beginners. Walking with a group adds company and makes it easier to keep going.

Safety

• Bright or reflective clothing is worn in poor light, and on roads without pavements walkers face the oncoming traffic.
• For walks in hills or remote country, a map, waterproofs, food and a charged phone are carried, and someone is told the route.
• People with joint problems may find exercise in water easier; many pools run classes.

The weekly targets are set out under physical activity guidelines.