On the label
- The CDC says moderate activity such as brisk walking is generally safe for most people.
- In one study cited by the CDC, the risk of premature death leveled off at about 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day for adults under 60.
- Walking briskly at 2.5 to 4 mph is a moderate-intensity activity in the Physical Activity Guidelines.
Walking is the lazy person’s exercise in the best sense. No equipment, no changing room, no skill to learn, and it counts. The CDC builds its own example plans for adults around brisk walking, and says moderate activity such as brisk walking is generally safe for most people. The hard part is not the walking. It is finding the minutes.
The target
Adults need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, according to the CDC and the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, plus 2 days of muscle-strengthening. The CDC is clear that the 150 minutes can be broken up, for example 30 minutes a day on 5 days. The guidelines go further: activity of any length now counts toward the total.
Is my walk brisk enough?
The guidelines classify walking at a slow or leisurely pace, 2 mph or less, as light activity. Walking briskly at 2.5 to 4 mph is moderate. Without a speed tracker, use the talk test from the National Institute on Aging: if you are breathing hard but can still hold a conversation easily, you are at a moderate pace. If you can only say a few words before taking a breath, you have moved into vigorous.
Tip: A slow stroll is not wasted. The guidelines say that for inactive adults, replacing sitting with light-intensity activity is likely to produce some health benefits. Brisk walking simply gets you to the weekly target faster.
Plan 1: the classic
This is the CDC’s own first example, unchanged, because it is hard to improve on.
| Day | Activity |
|---|---|
| Sunday | 30-minute brisk walk |
| Monday | 30-minute brisk walk |
| Tuesday | 30-minute brisk walk |
| Wednesday | Strength training |
| Thursday | 30-minute brisk walk |
| Friday | 30-minute brisk walk |
| Saturday | Strength training |
Total: 150 minutes of moderate activity and 2 days of muscle-strengthening, as the CDC calculates it.
Plan 2: the commuter
For people whose only free time is the gap around work. Three short walks a day on weekdays, nothing at weekends except strength.
| Slot | Monday to Friday |
|---|---|
| Morning | 10 minutes: get off a stop early or park at the far end |
| Lunch | 10 minutes: walk out and back before eating |
| Evening | 10 minutes: the same trick on the way home |
| Weekend | Two short strength sessions at home |
Five days of three 10-minute walks is 150 minutes, and the weekend strength sessions are laid out in Strength Training With No Gym: Two Days a Week at Home. Under the old rule, each walk had to last at least 10 minutes to count; the current guidelines dropped that limit, so a 7-minute walk on a rushed day still adds to the total.
Plan 3: the weekend walker
If weekdays are impossible, the guidelines allow the minutes to be spread however they fit, although they prefer activity spread through the week. A compromise:
- Saturday: 50-minute brisk walk.
- Sunday: 50-minute brisk walk.
- Wednesday: 25-minute brisk walk after work, plus a strength session.
- Friday: 25-minute walk, plus a strength session.
- Total: 150 minutes and 2 strength days.
What about steps?
Step counts are popular, and the CDC reports one study’s findings: for adults younger than 60, the risk of premature death leveled off at about 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day, and for adults 60 and older at about 6,000 to 8,000 steps. The Physical Activity Guidelines note that research on steps is still limited but growing, and that measuring steps combined with goal setting has been shown to increase activity. A step counter is a good motivator. It is not a replacement for the minutes target, which remains the official guidance.
Starting from zero
If you are not walking at all now, do not start with Plan 1. The guidelines advise inactive people to start low and go slow, increasing how often and how long they are active over time. A sensible ramp:
- Week 1: a 10-minute walk on three days.
- Week 2: 10 minutes on five days.
- Week 3: 15 minutes on five days.
- Week 4: 20 minutes on five days.
- Then build toward 30, or split it into pieces as in Plan 2.
Make it stick
- Walk with someone. The guidelines say adults are more likely to be active when supported by others, and name walking groups as one way.
- Walk in daylight when you can; it doubles as a cue for your body clock. See Morning Light and Energy: Working With Your Body Clock.
- Track it on paper. The CDC offers a printable Physical Activity Diary.
- Wear proper shoes and stay aware of weather and surroundings, as NIA advises for outdoor exercise.
The CDC says even 10 more minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity a day would make a difference: it estimates 110,000 deaths a year could be prevented if U.S. adults aged 40 and older increased their activity. If you have a chronic condition, ask your doctor which amounts are right for you. For the full weekly picture, see How Much Exercise Do Adults Need? The Federal Numbers, Explained.