Yes, walking is a workout: Here’s how to make it count

Does walking really count as a workout? It might not leave you dripping with sweat or feeling like you’ve just smashed a gym session, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t incredible benefits.

In fact, walking can be a really effective way to get moving. “Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do for your body and mind is go for a walk,” Joe says. “Walking is one of the most underrated forms of exercise. For many people, it’s gentle and accessible – no matter where we’re starting from.”.

It’s something that can often fit into everyday life, whether that’s a brisk walk at lunchtime, walking to the shops or heading out for ten minutes after dinner.

And if you want to get a little more from your walks, a few simple changes can make a difference.

We asked Professor Marie Murphy, a researcher in physical activity and health, and sports scientist and walking expert Joanna Hall, founder of WalkActive, what actually counts – from how fast you need to walk to whether you really need 10,000 steps a day.

Yes, walking really does count as exercise

If you’ve ever dismissed walking because it doesn’t feel like a “proper” workout, Marie says there’s a good reason to think again.

“The heart doesn’t know what type of exercise you’re doing,” she says. “Walking uses major muscle groups, the glutes and the quads, and like any other exercise which uses large muscles, it demands oxygen and gets the heart and whole cardiovascular system working harder.”

“For most adults, walking – particularly brisk walking – is likely to place enough of a demand on the cardiovascular system to give you the health benefits of aerobic exercise.”

The NHS recommends adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week, and brisk walking counts towards it.

And walking doesn’t need to be something you do until you’re fit enough to move on to something “harder”, either. “It’s accessible, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be effective exercise,” says Joanna. “You don’t need to graduate from walking to something else for it to become a proper workout. You can simply become better at walking.”

Don’t get hung up on 10,000 steps

Many of us have heard that 10,000 steps a day is the target. This can be traced back to a Japanese pedometer marketed in the 1960s, rather than research showing that 10,000 was a magic number for good health.

But research since then has found that you don’t need to reach five figures to see health benefits, with a 2025 review finding significant health benefits at around 5,000 – 7,000 steps a day.

There’s no single number that’s right for everyone. What’s realistic for you can depend on things like your age, health and current activity levels.

“Forget chasing the perfect step number initially. Start from where you are,” says Joanna.

Marie also points out that it’s not necessarily about clocking up as many steps as possible – the pace of some of those steps matters too.

“For me, it’s probably more important to include some brisk walking in the 7,000 steps you do rather than doing 10,000 steps at a slower pace,” says Marie.

Find your brisk

What does a brisk walk actually look like? It’s different for everyone. A pace that gets one person’s heart pumping might feel comfortable to someone else, depending on their fitness level.

Rather than aiming for a specific speed, Marie says to pay attention to how your body feels.

“If you’re breathing heavier, feeling warmer and feeling your heart beating faster – but are still able to carry on a conversation – then you’ve probably got a pace that is moderate intensity for you,” she says.

Joanna encourages people to practise changing “gears”. A simple place to start is to pick a tree, lamppost or another landmark ahead, walk towards it at a faster pace, then return to your comfortable rhythm and recover.

“Practising moving from a comfortable pace into a stronger gear and then recovering teaches your body to adapt rather than simply asking it to walk further and further,” she says.

Speed isn’t the only way to make a walk more challenging. “You can walk up hills. You can include some stair climbing or walk on softer terrain. All of those things increase the intensity of walking,” says Marie.

Embrace short walks

You don’t have to do all your steps in one go to make it count.

Marie has spent part of her career researching exactly this. Her work has found that splitting a longer walk into shorter bouts across the day can still bring health benefits.

There may be advantages to spreading them out, too, including getting you moving at different points throughout the day and breaking up long periods of sitting.

Recent research suggests even five-minute walking breaks can make a difference. In a 2026 study involving more than 19,000 adults, people who took regular five-minute walking breaks reported less fatigue and low mood, and more positive mood, after two weeks.

Marie has a nice way of thinking about it – she says walking and exercise “add up like loose change”. A few minutes here. Ten minutes there. A walk while you’re on the phone or getting off the bus a stop earlier. Each bit might seem small on its own, but together they add up.

Choose the walk that works for you

None of this means every walk needs to be brisk, hilly or full of intervals.

“Different walks can have different jobs,” says Joanna. “A brisk walk can develop cardiovascular fitness. A gentler walk can be valuable for recovery, mobility or simply creating some mental space.”

Some days you might want to pick up the pace and get your heart pumping. Other days, a slower walk might be exactly what you need.

“Sometimes the right walk is the one your body and brain need that day,” adds Joanna. “If walking feels good, you’re much more likely to do it consistently.”

And if you’re new to exercising, don’t worry about hitting a certain number of steps or changing everything at once. Start with what feels achievable for you and build from there.

“I want someone starting out to finish thinking, ‘I could do that again tomorrow,’ rather than feeling exhausted by what they think exercise ought to look like,” says Joanna. “That’s how we create consistency.”

Marie’s advice is just as simple: “Every step counts.”