Walk longer for your life—and for feeling better while you live it

Physical therapists love when patients walk a lot. Walking is easy to access, and studies continually show that it makes life better. Take time to walk longer.

Photo: Greensboro Greenway, Adobe Stock.

I’m a runner, but before that, I was, and today, still am, an avid walker. As a PT, I believe everyone can always do more of it.

Both are good. Running burns more calories and builds endurance, but it also adds more joint impact. Walking offers steady cardiovascular gains while staying gentle on your joints.

I also include “mindful walking” as one of my “three things we should do every day.” Mindful walking deserves its own time and space, but cardiovascular walking brings benefits simply by lasting longer. Your mind can “go along for the ride,” letting you take in the scenery, plan your workday, or sort out your grocery list.

Walk longer for longevity?

A major study recently underscored this idea: the longer you walk at a stretch, the more benefits you gain. Fitness and activity trackers push us to think in terms of steps, but this study shows that longer, continuous walking periods do more for your health than lots of short bursts scattered through the day.

Both The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reported on the study. Take your pick for more detail.

The main finding: A longer daily walk seems to beat a lot of incidental steps—but there is no need to trek for hours on end,” writes Daniel Akst in The Wall Street Journal. “Participants who walked mainly in bouts of at least 15 minutes had an 83% lower risk of dying than those whose walks occurred in bursts of less than 5 minutes. The risk of cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack or stroke, was 68% lower for the longer-session walkers compared with the shortest-burst walkers.”

Simar Bajaj, in The New York Times, reports:

This data shows only a correlation; it does not prove that taking longer walks is healthier than spacing your steps out over the day. But some evidence suggests that your body needs more time and continuity to fully tap into exercise’s health benefits, such as improved heart rate regulation, said Dr. Robert Gerszten, the chief of cardiovascular medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center who was not involved with the study.”

Don’t throw out your pedometer, though. UCLA Health says more steps are always better than fewer.

Taking just 2,500 steps a day can significantly reduce your risk of dying from all causes. But taking more steps can increase the benefit. 

One study reported that people who took 8,000 steps daily were 50% less likely to die (compared to people who got 4,000 steps) during the nine years following the study. How quickly they walked had no impact on the findings. 

After a certain number of steps, the risk reduction does level off. Multiple studies suggest that the benefit plateaus at different step levels depending on your age:

• Adults 60 and older: Risk reduction increases until 6,000 to 8,000 steps.
• Adults younger than 60: The benefit plateaus after 8,000 to 10,000 steps.

Good enough for me!

This correlation—combined with everything we already know about walking—tells me to get hoofing. I hope you’ll join us.

Greater Greensboro offers miles of well-maintained trails and greenways if you want to walk longer. You can choose an urban path or a lakeside loop where ospreys soar overhead.

Here’s an excellent map of area trails to help you plan your new walking routine well before New Year’s Day. Why wait when the payoff is living longer and feeling better?

Still need reasons?

Top Reasons Physical Therapists Recommend Walking Daily

1. Reduces Inflammation
Gentle, rhythmic movement increases circulation, helping your body flush inflammatory chemicals and deliver fresh oxygen and nutrients to injured tissues.

2. Speeds Up Healing
Walking activates the leg muscles’ natural “pump,” which improves blood flow and supports tissue repair—especially after injury or surgery.

3. Keeps Joints Moving
Motion lubricates your joints. Walking reduces stiffness, improves range of motion, and prevents the hips, knees, and spine from “locking up.”

4. Builds Foundational Strength
Walking engages your glutes, core, hamstrings, and calves—muscles that stabilize the body and protect you from further injury.

5. Improves Balance and Coordination
Every step stimulates proprioception (your sense of body position), helping you regain confidence on your feet.

6. Supports Healthy Posture
A consistent walking routine reinforces natural spinal alignment and counteracts long hours of sitting or device use.

7. Regulates Pain
Moving regularly prevents pain pathways from becoming hypersensitive. Walking provides one of the safest ways to ease chronic pain over time.

8. Boosts Mood and Motivation
Walking increases endorphins and serotonin, lifting mood and reducing anxiety—especially when injury leaves you feeling stuck.

9. Improves Cardiovascular Health
It strengthens your heart, improves circulation, supports lung function, and helps regulate blood pressure.

10. Helps With Weight Management
Maintaining a healthy weight reduces stress on your joints and lowers mechanical strain during recovery.

11. Enhances Sleep Quality
Regular walking helps reset your sleep–wake cycle and supports better overnight tissue recovery.

12. Reinforces Therapy Gains
Repetition matters. Walking helps integrate gait mechanics, posture cues, and strength work into your everyday life.

13. Low-Impact and Accessible
Walking requires no equipment, adapts to nearly every fitness level, and remains one of the safest exercise prescriptions.

14. Prevents Future Injury
Improved mobility, strength, and balance help you avoid re-injury and maintain healthy movement patterns.