Who doesn’t love a good walk? It’s accessible, it’s free and it’s great for your health. The mental and physical benefits of getting your steps in are impressive, but these days, walking is trendy too. Whether you’re going for a “Hot Girl Walk,” doing the 12-3-30 treadmill workout or trekking across your city, there’s always a new way to make walking more exciting.
That’s something regular walkers know well. They keep fitness simple by focusing on getting moving, whether that’s outside on a hiking trail, around their neighborhood or even on a walking pad.
What can we learn from them? Read on for their best tips.
Meet the walkers:
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Zahrah, an influencer who explores the Scottish outdoors
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Paul English, founder of walking app Steppin
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Milica McDowell, exercise physiologist and VP of operations at Gait Happens
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April Medrano, master coach at STRIDE
Try a weighted vest
“Walking has changed my life, and it’s so easy on your joints. I wear a weighted vest to maximize the benefits of my walk. I started with 12 lbs. but now walk with 32 lbs. and shoot for an hour a day.”
— Scarlett Longstreet
Bring your kids
“If you have little ones and are looking for pockets of free time to get walking without them, I’d say outdoors is so much easier than parenting indoors! Just take them with you. It will hopefully tire them out! And remember, however many snacks you think are enough to pack for your wee ones — double it!”
— Zahrah
Make walks meditative
“Use your Hot Girl Walk time wisely. I do gratitude practice, goal-setting and affirmations. I love a podcast and an audiobook, but I make sure I spend a good amount of my Hot Girl Walk time doing those three things. … It just gets me in the right headspace.”
— Mia Lind
Make it social
“Instead of meeting up for coffee, invite your friends, families or colleagues out for a walk. It could be a walking catch-up or a walking meeting. It’s a great way to connect and keep the creative juices flowing — and it’s free!”
— Kiersten Brydie
Turn a walk into an experience
“Curate your walk like an experience. Whether it’s with friends, co-workers or solo, make it creative, fun and tailored to what you love. Try something new, like a walking tour, and go on a local adventure. Wander a new neighborhood, discover your next favorite cocktail bar or uncover the history behind local landmarks. Walking isn’t just about steps, but an opportunity to connect with your community intentionally.”
— Cecilia Romero
Track your steps
“Using a fitness tracker makes you accountable, tracks your process regularly and helps you incorporate walking into your daily routine. Start by setting realistic walking goals, and gradually increase the number of steps as you get fitter. Tailor notifications to avoid information overload and ensure you’re only exposed to metrics that matter to you.”
— Paul English
Go for a micro walk
“I love a good micro walk; adding 500 to 1,000 steps can be a great way to interrupt sitting at work. A micro walk is a way to change your mood, reduce your blood pressure, improve circulation and enhance your gut motility. I’ve started encouraging my co-workers to do ‘walk and talk’ meetings where instead of sitting, we go for a walk either in our building or around the block. It’s a great way to stack your habits and make a measurable impact on your health.”
— Milica McDowell
Build walking into your routine
“I focus on habits that keep me active throughout the day. I start my morning with a walk outside, habit-stacking by sipping my electrolytes and greens while listening to a personal development podcast or audiobook. It sets a productive tone for the day and gently prepares my body for more stimulating foods and movement. During the workday, I use a walking pad under my desk, which allows me to stay active during meetings.”
— Kristina Turnure
“I prefer to walk in shoes that provide a good balance of comfort, support and durability, like well-cushioned running shoes or sturdy walking shoes with good arch support. The right pair makes a huge difference in how enjoyable and effortless the walk feels. Personally, my favorite shoes are the On Cloudstratus — they offer the perfect blend of cushion, stability and lightweight comfort.”
— April Medrano
Walk in nature
“Walking in nature-filled spaces like parks, forests, trails or even tree-lined streets can help us relax. When we walk without earbuds, we are tuned in to our bodies and our brains in those surroundings. The body and brain react very differently to manmade noises, such as honking horns and jackhammers vs. sounds of nature like birds. [The latter] can help us relax without us even realizing it.”
— Jennifer Walsh
Try intervals
“If you are looking to get more fitness bang for your walking buck, one of the best things you can do is add intervals to your walk. Intervals are brief periods of higher effort followed by periods of recovery. For example, after a few minutes of warm-up, you raise the intensity for 30 to 60 seconds and then slow it back down, giving your body a minute or two to fully recover. You can achieve that higher intensity by increasing your walking speed, finding a hill or set of stairs to climb or even adding a brief jog. Intervals are incredibly effective at improving cardiovascular fitness, torching more calories in less time and firing up your metabolism.”
— Joyce Shulman
Get creative on the treadmill
“If your treadmill inclines, adding hills to your walks can keep you more engaged with your workout and get your heart rate higher while keeping the speed consistent. For walking pads and treadmills that don’t have incline capabilities, consider using a [weighted] vest. You will want to check your treadmill’s weight capacity to see how much weight you can use, but weighted walks are an excellent way to continue progressing your fitness level. Some walkers may also feel comfortable walking backward to add variety and intensity to their walks, but I only recommend this if you have good balance and decent treadmill handles to hold on to.”
— Kaleigh Ray
These quotes have been edited for length and clarity.
