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Regular walking is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to get a little more movement in your day. It's also one of the best things you can do for your body, with benefits for back pain, blood pressure, mental health and more. And while walking can be good exercise, it's most effective when you keep pushing yourself to go a little farther or longer when you notice your body getting comfortable. The Start TODAY app can help you build up your walking endurance with customized workout and strength-training routines, as well as healthy meal plans based on your food preferences. But actually fitting a longer or more challenging walk into your regular routine is often easier said than done. Luckily, if you don't have time for a 45-minute walk during the day, you can still get benefits by breaking it up, Steph Mansour, TODAY fitness contributor, explained previously. Trainer Tip of the Day: Longer Walks Are Better If You're Just Starting Out The truth is that you'll get health benefits from walking regardless of whether you do one long walk or break it up into multiple smaller walks over the course of the day, Mansour said. The goal should be to spend some time walking each day and push yourself to gradually increase your distance or the amount of time you spend walking to get more steps in, she said. In fact, recent research found more benefits from a longer walk of over 15 minutes compared to multiple shorter walks of less than five minutes. For people who were largely sedentary, walking 15 or more minutes a day led to the greatest reduction in risk of early death and heart disease, according to the study. Why It Matters Walking is a healthy habit for your body and mind. But if you're using walking as a form of exercise, it's important to keep challenging yourself. Gradually increasing the length of your walks in terms of time or distance will help you get more steps in. But it's also crucial in order to build endurance, burn more calories and boost your metabolism, Mansour said. Walking for a longer period gives your body the time it needs to switch into exercise mode, which is important, Steven Riechman, an associate professor in the department of kinesiology and sport management at Texas A&M University, told NBC News. "You need to get all the systems engaged and fully operational, and that’s where the health benefits come from,” he explained. There's still reason to vary the length of your walks though, Mansour said. It keeps your body guessing, which can improve stamina and cardiovascular health, and makes your workouts more interesting. Whether you're squeezing in a 10-minute walk or logging a few miles, press play on a walking podcast in the Start TODAY app. How to Get Started If your regular walk has become routine and easy, Mansour recommends "upping the ante" in whatever way works for you. If you’re used to going for a 20-minute daily walk, Mansour encourages you to push that to 30 or 45 minutes. But adding an extra 15 or 20 minutes to your walk might not be so easy to work into your daily schedule. So if you’d rather break up your longer walk into a few smaller ones — walk for 15 minutes before and after work instead of 30 minutes at once — that’s totally fine. You can also add in intervals, like in this 20-Minute Beginner HIIT Walk in the Start TODAY app, which will help increase your distance and get your heart rate up. As Mansour said, the goal is to keep challenging yourself a little more over time rather than sticking with what’s familiar and easy. And by adding other modalities to your workout plan (especially strength-training), you'll see even more health benefits.
