Hot girl walks. Mental health walks. Japanese walking. Over the past few years, several walking trends have encouraged people to get up, get out and go for a walk. Various studies have also highlighted the benefits of walking, including an October 2025 one that found UK adults who accumulated most of their daily steps through walks of at least 15 minutes had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.
To determine if walking qualifies as exercise on its own, and to gather their perspectives on these walking trends, we consulted fitness experts for their professional opinions.
Does walking count as exercise?
Yes, walking is exercise, and experts across physical and mental health disciplines agree. Sergii Putsov, a certified personal trainer with a doctoral degree in sports science, says, “Walking for just 30 minutes every day can lower your risk of severe cardiovascular disease and dementia.” April Crowe, a licensed clinical social worker at Paramount Wellness Retreat, adds that “walking in natural environments also boosts cognitive function and creativity, thereby providing a unique kind of therapy.”
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–>Does walking do more than build your heart’s strength? As it turns out, yes. The Mayo Clinic has identified additional health benefits of walking. According to the medical center, walking can improve muscle endurance, boost energy, lower blood pressure, strengthen bones and support the immune system. You can see benefits both outdoors and on a treadmill.
Walking alone can also change the shape of your body. In 2017, the Journal of Physical Activity and Health did a meta-analysis of 22 clinical trials related to walking and health. The results revealed that brisk walking reduced waist circumference, fat mass and body fat percentage to a “clinically significant” degree in men and women under age 50 living with obesity. It can also lead to overall weight loss. So that “hot girl walk” you take could cause noticeable changes to your body if you stick to it.
Is walking enough exercise on its own?
Walking can certainly be combined with other activities as part of a circuit. You can also walk as a warm-up for jogging or cycling. Walking on its own can deliver results and may have fewer negative impacts on your body than other high-impact sports.
Gregor Parella, also a CPT, says of walking for walking’s sake: “It is much better than jogging because jogging can put undue pressure on your ankles, especially if you’re heavily built. On the other hand, brisk walking is one of the best exercises because it tones your leg and calf muscles without the same pressure on joints.
Even walking at a slow pace is better than being stationary at home, but a faster pace will also hasten the health benefits. A 2019 study in Atherosclerosis found that “walking pace was inversely associated with the risk of death and development of cardiovascular disease” in male physicians with an average age of 67.8. In other words, the faster you walk, the lower your risk of death and cardiovascular disease.
Regarding how long you should walk, the US Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, or 30 minutes a day for five days, for substantial health benefits. This can include walking briskly at 2.5 mph to 4 mph. Walking at a slow or leisurely pace (2 mph or less) is considered a light-intensity activity, which is likely to produce some health benefits compared to sedentary behavior but not as many benefits as walking briskly.
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