Can Walking Be My Whole Workout?

As seen in The New York Times, Alexander Rothstein, Ed.D., assistant professor of exercise science, explains why step count should not be the sole focus of a walking-based exercise routine. “[Getting] ten thousand steps was never meant to be the defining task of your day,” he says, noting that daily walking typically falls into the category of physical activity vs. exercise, which requires that activities challenge the body and force muscular and cardiovascular adaptations. Instead, he notes that it’s important to consider the intensity of your walks and the amount of time spent exercising.

If you don’t have a heart rate monitor to help gauge your walking intensity, Rothstein suggests taking note of how hard you’re working through the talk test. If you can carry on a conversation easily, your exercise is low intensity; if you’re getting out of breath and feel as if your effort level is a six or seven out of 10, you’ve reached moderate-intensity exercise. Increased breathiness and an inability to speak more than a few words at a time signal high intensity. Making incremental adjustments “to up the ante is probably the most important recommendation I can make with walking,” he said.