Healthy living
The 30-Minute Walk: What Daily Walking Does for Your Health
A daily walk lowers blood pressure, lifts your mood and protects your heart. See what the evidence shows and how to build the habit.
What daily walking does
- Lowers blood pressure and resting heart rate
- Improves blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity
- Raises HDL (good) cholesterol
- Strengthens bones and joints
- Improves mood, energy and sleep
- Helps with weight management
- Lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers
How to start
- Start with 10 minutes a day if you are new to exercise.
- Add 5 minutes every week.
- Pick a time you can stick with, such as after lunch or dinner.
- Walk with a friend, a podcast or a dog.
- Wear supportive shoes.
Making it a habit
- Park farther away and take the stairs.
- Take walking meetings or phone calls.
- Track steps or minutes to see progress.
- Have a rainy-day plan: walk indoors at a mall or on a treadmill.
How we can help
We help you set safe activity goals, especially if you have heart, joint or lung conditions, and track how walking improves your blood pressure, blood sugar and weight. See also strength training after 50.
Questions people ask
Is 10,000 steps a day necessary?
No. Benefits begin at much lower step counts, and around 7,000 to 8,000 steps brings substantial benefit for many adults.
Is walking as good as running?
For many health benefits, brisk walking is comparable over the same time.
Can I walk if I have arthritis?
Yes, walking is usually good for arthritis. Start slowly and wear supportive shoes.
Talk it through with Lydia
Ready to start moving more? We will help you set safe, realistic goals. See a board-certified nurse practitioner virtually anywhere in Virginia, in our Woodbridge office, or straight to your front door in much of Northern Virginia.
Visits start at $85, and every membership comes with a 30-day trial.
Prefer to ask first? Text us at (571) 402-2102 or message us on WhatsApp.
