Does Walking for Exercise Have Any Effect at All?

Question: I walk – that’s it. I walk 4 times a week for 20 minutes. Is this doing me any good?

Answer: Of course it is! Any kind of sustained physical activity will do you good. Obviously your getting more benefit from walking those 20 minutes than the person who is sitting at home during those same 20 minutes watching tv. You must enjoy it – you’re keeping at it. So you’ve attained one of the goals we’ve talked about elsewhere. Find an exercise you like to do and then do it on a continuous basis.

Now how much good this is doing depends on how you’re walking. If your hands are in your pocket and you’re casually strolling, well, it is better than nothing. But if your walking at a brisk pace and swinging your arms as you’re walking, it’s a lot better than nothing. You need to get the heart pumping a little faster than normal and keep it there for 20 – 30 minutes to get the most benefit.

To really get the most out of walking, every so often jog a little. Even 15 – 20 seconds. Then go back to walking. Do that a few times and you’ll notice even more improvement. One last tip would be to extend your walk to 30 minutes if you can.

However, if you want to just keep doing what you’re doing now. As long as you keep taking a brisk 20 minute walk regularly, you will definitely be helping your body stay fit. So keep on walkin’.