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The Long and Short of Walking for Exercise

So you want to begin a walking program, but you don't know how to start. Some experts say you need to walk briskly for at least 30 minutes. Others say you can do several shorter walks to add up to 30 minutes. Which advice is right?

The answer is--both. These researchers started middle-aged adults who were not exercising on a six-week walking schedule. Half walked for 30 minutes at a time. The other half walked three times a day, for ten minutes at a time. They all did their walking program five days each week during the study period. None of the participants changed their diets or anything else about their lifestyles.

All the walkers saw similar health benefits, regardless of whether they took long walks or short walks. After completing their six-week walking program, they all had better levels of "good" cholesterol, and lower levels of triglycerol and total cholesterol. Their blood pressure went down, as did their levels of tension and anxiety. Their walking speed also improved. None of the walkers lost any weight, but their waist, hip, and skin-fold measurements decreased slightly. For middle-aged people who haven't been too active, three ten-minute walks a day are as effective for the heart and mind as walking for 30 minutes.

References: Marie Murphy, et al. Accumulating Brisk Walking for Fitness, Cardiovascular Risk, and Psychological Health. In Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. September 2002. Vol. 34. No. 9. Pp. 1468-1474.

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