Members of the Get Healthy Walking Club walk a path past the giraffe enclosure during the morning at the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
Janet Rapp, 71, begins her mornings with a brisk walk through the city zoo, greeting friends and stopping to visit emus she’s come to know by name. It’s a routine she shares with a walking club, and she admits, “I’m obsessed.” For her, walking not only alleviates joint pain but also provides an energy boost and a sense of calm.
Experts agree that walking is a simple yet effective way to enhance both physical and mental health, improve fitness, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. “You don’t need any special equipment or a gym membership,” says Dr. Sarah Eby, a sports medicine physician at Mass General Brigham. “The benefits are tremendous.”
One key advantage of walking is its ability to help people meet the U.S. surgeon general’s recommendation for 2 1/2 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. Regular walking can reduce the likelihood of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, dementia, depression, and certain cancers. It also helps regulate blood sugar, strengthen bones, aid in weight management, and improve sleep quality, according to Julie Schmied, a nurse practitioner at Norton Healthcare, which runs the Get Healthy Walking Club.
Additionally, walking is a low-impact activity, making it gentle on the joints while strengthening the heart and lungs.
James Blankenship, 68, says that joining a walking club at the Louisville Zoo helped him recover after suffering a heart attack and undergoing triple bypass surgery in 2022. “My cardiologist says I’m doing great,” he shares.
While walking provides numerous benefits, it doesn’t offer resistance training, which is essential for building muscle strength and endurance, especially for women’s bone health as they age, explains Anita Gust, an exercise science professor at the University of Minnesota Crookston. Experts recommend adding resistance exercises, such as weight training or bodyweight exercises, at least twice a week, along with activities that improve flexibility like yoga or stretching.
When it comes to daily walking goals, the widely known 10,000 steps a day target, which originated from a marketing campaign in Japan in the 1960s, is simply a guideline. The average American walks about 3,000 to 4,000 steps daily, and it’s perfectly fine to gradually increase that number, says Schmied. She suggests breaking the recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week into 30-minute sessions, or even 10-minute intervals spread throughout the day.
As walkers become more accustomed to the routine, they can increase their pace or add challenges like walking uphill. According to Dr. Eby, the goal is to engage in moderate-intensity exercise—where you can talk, but not sing—while maintaining a steady pace.
For those struggling with motivation, walking with friends, or even pets, can help. Walking clubs have become increasingly popular across the U.S. In 2022, personal trainer Brianna Joye Kohn founded City Girls Who Walk after posting a TikTok invitation. She was amazed when 250 women showed up to walk together. Since then, the group has met every Sunday for a 40-minute walk, often followed by brunch or coffee.
The Louisville Zoo also launched its walking club in 1987. In partnership with Norton Healthcare since 2004, the club now boasts more than 15,000 members. From March to October, walkers gather early in the morning to complete a 1.4-mile loop around the zoo before it officially opens.
Tony Weiter, 63, joins his siblings for a walk every Friday. On a recent morning, they chatted as they passed by zebras and seals basking in the sun. “It’s a peaceful way to start the day,” Weiter says. “You get to enjoy the fresh air and the animals.”
