Science-backed benefits of walking for your body and mind

Gym memberships, Pilates subscriptions, AMRAP, HIIT… when it comes to fitness things can sometimes feel a bit complicated. So, let’s go back to basics, and explore how one simple exercise can benefit your body and your mind (and the best part… it’s free!)

From hormones to heart health, bone health to brains, walking is a powerful, yet often overlooked, form of exercise that benefits the whole body. It’s low impact, can be done almost anywhere, and the results are measurable.

Read on to find out just how beneficial walking can be for your health, how to maximise the benefits, and track the changes in your body.

We’ll cover:

• What counts as walking for health benefits?
• How walking improves your heart health
• Why walking improves your mental health
• Walking and metabolic health: blood sugar, weight, and inflammation
• Does walking help with hormonal imbalance?
• How can I track the benefits of walking?
• Walking benefits FAQs

What counts as walking for health benefits?
 

Before we look at the benefits, let’s explore what kind of walking is best for your health.

The NHS recommends walking briskly to get the best effects. This is about three miles per hour; you should feel your heartbeat slightly faster and still be able to talk.

How long do you need to walk for?

How long you walk for is dependent on your activity levels and health. If you aren’t yet able to walk very far, try a gradual approach, starting out with five or ten minutes of brisk walking a few times a day. You don’t need to walk for hours, 30 minutes is a good number to aim for.

How often should you walk for?

Most research suggests that walking every day is ideal. Consistency is more important than long, occasional walks (although they are still good).

Additionally, there is growing evidence that sitting down too much is a risk to your health. Try incorporating “exercise snacks” – several periods of brief movement, throughout your day.

Building walking into your daily routine is a good way to build on this healthy habit. If you usually drive to the shop, work, or the school drop off, try walking instead (if you can, of course!).

How walking improves your heart health
 

Cardiovascular conditions are often asymptomatic, meaning they don’t have symptoms, particularly in the early stages. Luckily, the strongest evidence for benefits of walking relate to your heart health [1,2].

So, how does walking improve your cardiovascular health?

Your heart is a muscle, and like any muscle, it gets stronger with use. Walking, particularly brisk walking, makes your heart pump more blood around your body with each beat. This in turn, lowers your average resting heartrate – so your heart doesn’t have to work so hard when you’re not moving.

Heart health benefits of walking include:

• Lowered blood pressure
• Healthier cholesterol levels
• Improved lipid profiles
• Reduced risk of heart disease and stroke

How to check your heart health with blood testing

Learn how to check your cholesterol, and take a look at out our guide for the best blood tests for heart health for useful tips.

Why walking improves your mental health
 

Walking doesn’t just change how your body feels – it can change how your mind feels too.

Moving your body helps lower levels of stress hormones like cortisol, while encouraging the release of chemicals in the brain that support mood and relaxation. Many people notice that even a short walk can help clear their head or ease feelings of tension [3,4]. Resist checking your phone or catching up on emails whilst you’re on a walk – instead try noticing birdsong or interesting plants and flowers.

Walking outdoors may offer additional benefits [5]. Exposure to natural light and green spaces has been linked to lower stress levels and improved mood (not to mention boosted vitamin D levels). You can read more about which blood markers may play a role in your mental health in our blog.

Over time, regular walking has been associated with reduced symptoms of anxiety and low mood. For many people, walking can be like a moving meditation. It’s not a replacement for mental health treatment when needed, but it can be a valuable part of looking after your mental wellbeing.

If you feel low mentally and need someone to talk to, the Samaritans offer a free, confidential service. Just call 116123 at any time, day or night, and someone will be there for you.

Walking and metabolic health: blood sugar, weight, and inflammation
 

Walking doesn’t just benefit your heart – it also protects metabolic factors such as how your body processes glucose, your bodyweight, and immune responses such as inflammation. If you have PCOS, walking is a great exercise to get started with.

Studies have shown that breaking up long periods of sitting, such as watching tv or working in an office, can cause improvements in your metabolism and help prevent metabolic syndrome [6,7].

Some blood marker changes you may notice include:

• Blood sugar (HbA1c) levels go down
• Insulin sensitivity goes up
• Hs-CRP (key inflammation marker) goes down

And for an extra metabolic boost, try walking shortly after each meal as it may help reduce glucose spikes.

Does walking help with hormonal imbalance?
 

Your hormones can fluctuate with everyday habits, and regular movement plays an important role in keeping them in balance.

We’ve already mentioned how walking can support hormones involved in blood sugar control, such as insulin, and also help lower chronically elevated cortisol.

Regular walking has also been associated with healthier testosterone levels, particularly in men. By reducing stress, supporting metabolic health, and helping maintain a healthy body weight, walking creates conditions that support normal testosterone production without placing the body under excessive physical strain.

 

How can I track the benefits of walking?
 

One of the challenges of lifestyle changes is consistency. Seeing if the habits are actually making a difference can be incredibly motivating.

Some of the benefits of walking are easy to notice, such as improved mood or energy levels. Others happen more gradually and aren’t always obvious day to day. This is where tracking your health using blood testing can be helpful.

What are the best biomarkers to track?

The most useful biomarkers to track are those that reflect the areas walking is known to influence.

Cholesterol markers, including total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and HDL (“good”) cholesterol, can help show how regular walking is supporting heart health over time. Triglycerides may also improve with consistent activity.

Blood sugar markers are another key area to monitor. Fasting glucose and HbA1c can indicate how well your body is regulating blood sugar and how your routine is affecting insulin sensitivity.

Markers linked to inflammation, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), may also change with regular walking, particularly when combined with other healthy lifestyle habits. Lower levels can suggest reduced long-term disease risk.

In some cases, hormone markers may be relevant too. For example, tracking testosterone or cortisol can be helpful if fatigue, low mood, or metabolic health are concerns, as regular movement can support healthier hormone regulation.

By checking these markers periodically, you can build a clearer picture of how walking is affecting your health. Rather than relying on how you feel alone, blood testing offers objective feedback that can help you stay motivated and make informed adjustments over time.

For all these markers and more, try our Ultimate Performance Blood Test.

Walking benefits FAQs
 

Is walking enough exercise?

It depends on your goals.

A brisk, daily walk can contribute to the recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise and make a meaningful change to your health [8].

But for a well-rounded fitness routine you should also try to incorporate strength training and stretching to keep your bones, muscles, and joints strong.

Do I need to do 10,000 steps a day?

Fun fact: The idea of getting 10,000 steps was actually created by a Japanese engineer/ marketing campaign. When developing a pedometer (as part of trying to get people healthy in the lead up to the Tokyo Olympics) Juri Kato thought 10,000 was a nice, round number to aim for [9].

But if that feels a little out of reach don’t worry. Evidence shows that the benefits of walking begin at around 6,000-8,000 steps [10].

Does walking improve heart health?

Yes, regular walking is associated with lower blood pressure, improved cholesterol profiles, and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. When it comes to heart health, the faster you can walk the better, and walking at a pace that keeps your heart rate up has the best benefits.

Can walking help anxiety?

Walking has been shown to reduce stress hormones such as cortisol, promote release of endorphins, and improve mood, helping to alleviate symptoms of anxiety.

Is walking better than running?

Walking and running offer similar cardiovascular benefits when matched for effort, but walking is lower impact and easier to sustain long term for many people.

6-6-6 vs.12-3-30: which walking workout is better?

In case you’re wondering what on earth we’re talking about, 6-6-6 and 12-3-30 are two viral walking trends.

The workouts:

• 6-6-6 – warm up for six minutes, walk briskly for 60 minutes, cool down for six minutes (if you’re feeling fancy you can time your workouts for 6.00 am or 6.00 pm too!)
• 12-3-30 – on a treadmill, set the incline to 12%, the speed to three miles per hour, and walk for 30 minutes

So, which workout is better?

If lower impact exercise is your goal and you have more time, try the 6-6-6 workout. If you’re short on time and after fat-burning cardio, 12-3-30 workout is for you.

How long should you walk for health benefits?

Around 30 minutes of brisk walking on most days is enough to support cardiovascular, metabolic, and mental health.

If aiming for a steps goal is motivating, then it’s useful to know that 1,000 steps is about 10 minutes of walking, you’ll get roughly 0.5 miles.

---

References

1. Yang Z, Liang Y, He L, Zhou L, Peng X, Lai Y, et al. Walking as a viable alternative to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for improving cardiovascular outcomes in coronary artery disease patients. International Journal of Cardiology Cardiovascular Risk and Prevention. 2025;26: 200452. doi:10.1016/j.ijcrp.2025.200452
2. Murtagh EM, Murphy MH, Boone-Heinonen J. Walking – the first steps in cardiovascular disease prevention. Curr Opin Cardiol. 2010;25: 490–496. doi:10.1097/HCO.0b013e32833ce972
3. Be active for your mental health - Every Mind Matters. In: nhs.uk [Internet]. 10 May 2023 [cited 30 Apr 2026]. 
4. Xu Z, Zheng X, Ding H, Zhang D, Cheung PM-H, Yang Z, et al. The Effect of Walking on Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JMIR Public Health Surveill. 2024;10: e48355. doi:10.2196/48355
5. Chen L, Yan R, Hu Y. City walk or nature walk? Evidence-based psychological and physiological outcomes – A systematic review and meta-analysis. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 2025;106: 128726. doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2025.128726
6. Yates T, Edwardson CL, Celis-Morales C, Biddle SJH, Bodicoat D, Davies MJ, et al. Metabolic Effects of Breaking Prolonged Sitting With Standing or Light Walking in Older South Asians and White Europeans: A Randomized Acute Study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2020;75: 139–146. doi:10.1093/gerona/gly252
7. Najafian J, Mohammadifard N, Naeini FF, Nouri F. Relation between usual daily walking time and metabolic syndrome. Niger Med J. 2014;55: 29–33. doi:10.4103/0300-1652.128156
8. Walking for health. In: nhs.uk [Internet]. 25 Jan 2022 [cited 28 Apr 2026]. 
9. Kanosue K, Oshima S, Cao Z-B, Oka K, editors. Physical Activity, Exercise, Sedentary Behavior and Health. Tokyo: Springer Japan; 2015. doi:10.1007/978-4-431-55333-5
10. Ding D, Nguyen B, Nau T, Luo M, Del Pozo Cruz B, Dempsey PC, et al. Daily steps and health outcomes in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. The Lancet Public Health. 2025;10: e668–e681. doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(25)00164-1