Is it better to walk long or short walks?

Author: Alda McDermott  |  Last update: Friday, September 26, 2025

Short “micro-walks” may prove to be more beneficial for your health compared to longer ones, a new study finds. Researchers found when people walked in stints of 10 to 30 seconds, they burned more calories than continuously walking the same distance. Experts explain the findings.

Is it better to do one long walk or several short walks?

  • Duration and Intensity: Walking all at once may allow you to maintain a more consistent pace and intensity, which can enhance cardiovascular benefits.
  • Metabolism: Multiple shorter walks can help keep your metabolism active throughout the day, potentially leading to more calorie burn overall.

Is it more beneficial to walk faster or longer?

  • Health benefits: Walking at any speed is beneficial for your health, but walking faster can provide more health benefits. It can increase your heart rate, improve your cardiovascular fitness, and burn more calories.
  • Joint health: If you have joint problems, walking slower may be better.

Is it better to walk 5 miles or run 5 miles?

Jogging for five miles is more beneficial as you will burn more calories, improve your stamina, and elevate your heart-rate much more than you will through walking. This is not to say that walking does not have any good merit! Walk...

What is the best duration for walking?

  • For general health: Aiming for 30 minutes of brisk walking most days of the week is often recommended.
  • For fitness: Longer walks, around 60 minutes or more, can help improve cardiovascular health, endurance, and weight management.

Walking for Fat Loss

Can you lose belly fat by walking?

Can a person lose belly fat by walking? Regular aerobic exercise such as walking may be an effective way to lose belly fat. A 2014 study supports this and concluded that walking could help to burn body fat, including fat around the waist and within the abdominal cavity.

What is a good distance to walk everyday?

Walking is a form of low impact, moderate-intensity exercise that has a range of health benefits and few risks. As a result, the CDC recommends that most adults aim for 10,000 steps per day.For most people, this is the equivalent of about 8 kilometers or 5 miles.

Can I really lose weight by walking?

Physical activity, such as walking, is important for weight control because it helps you burn calories. If you add 30 minutes of brisk walking to your daily habits, you could burn about 150 more calories a day. Of course, the more you walk and the quicker your pace, the more calories you'll burn.

How many miles is 10,000 steps?

Based on an average step length of 2 1/2 feet, 10,000 steps is roughly equal to 5 miles. However, due to factors such as your height and walking speed, this number can vary. Online calculators can help determine how many miles you'll cover in 10,000 steps.

Is it better to run 30 minutes or walk an hour?

Is it better to run 30 minutes or walk an hour? Running for 30 minutes is more time-efficient for calorie burning and cardiovascular benefits, but walking for an hour can be more sustainable and offers a lower injury risk.

What happens to your heart when you walk every day?

But walking can help people with existing heart disease in many ways. “It can make heart muscle stronger, ease symptoms over time, and decrease the risk of death from cardiovascular events. It's better than any pill out there,” Dr. Skali says.

Is it better to walk the same distance faster or slower?

Still, walking at a slower speed for a longer period of time (about three miles per hour for an hour) led to greater total fat loss in postmenopausal women in a 2023 study in Nutrients. Meanwhile, walking faster demands more of your metabolism and burns more calories because it's a harder workout, says Dr. Contreras.

Is it better to walk throughout the day or all at once?

How to Get Your Steps In. Don't think you have to get all your steps in at once for it to count. If you walk in small increments throughout the day, you'll not only add to your step count as much as if you walked all at once, but you'll also break up the times during the day that you're sitting.

Is a 20 minute walk long enough?

Two long-term Harvard studies found that simply walking 20 minutes a day may reduce your risk of heart disease by up to 30 percent. Set a goal to walk 20 minutes at least five times a week and experience all the health benefits that a brisk walk can bring you.

Are three 10-minute walks as good as one 30-minute walk?

Overall, these data suggest that women who are prescribed one 30-minute bout of walking may meet PA recommendations more often than those prescribed three 10-minute bouts.

Has anyone lost weight walking 10,000 steps a day?

After a family trip made me realise how much my weight was holding me back, I started following a low-carb diet, weighing my food with a scale, and walking at least 10,000 steps a day. I've now lost 80 pounds (5 stone and 10lbs, or 36kg) in under 11 months. I have been overweight most of my life.

How many stairs equal a mile?

So, if you want to aim for one mile of steps, you will need to climb 3,727 steps (63,360 divided by 17 inches). And to cover 3,727 steps, you'd need to walk between 232 and 310 flights of stairs. The average number of steps in a flight of stairs is between 12 and 16 steps.

How many miles to walk a day to lose weight?

Number of miles to walk a day for weight loss

The general standard is to have a step goal of 10,000 steps a day, says Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab. This translates to roughly five miles.

What is a flat tummy walk?

A “flat tummy walk” is a type of exercise that is intended to help tone and strengthen the. abdominal muscles, leading to a flatter stomach. This type of exercise typically involves engaging the core muscles and walking at a brisk pace. It can be done indoors or outdoors and doesn't require any equipment.

Does walking tone your butt?

Yes—when it comes to building your glutes while walking, it's all about the incline. If you're on a treadmill, “anything above a five percent grade is going to target the glutes much more than a lower incline [or flat surface],” says Matty.

What happens if you walk 30 minutes a day for a month?

Just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance. It can also reduce your risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers.

What is the best time of day to walk?

A morning walk can help you burn fat more efficiently due to your body using fat as its main source of energy when you exercise before breakfast. It can also help you suppress your hunger and make you less tempted to snack throughout the day.

How much should I walk according to my age?

Several studies suggest that with more steps per day, all-cause mortality risk (risk of death from any cause) progressively decreases before leveling off at: 7,000-10,000 steps per day for adults aged 18-59 years. 6,000-8,000 steps per day for adults aged 60+ years. 7,500 steps per day for women aged 62-101 years.

What is considered a long walk?

A long walk (at least 60 minutes)

Research has shown that regular walking (and the longer, the better) can also extend your life and stave off disease. And you're at significantly lower risk of injury compared with running.

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