May is National Walking Month, and though it might sound simplistic, stepping to it is one of the most accessible and easy ways to get in shape and kick-start your fitness journey. But while we all know about getting the recommended 10,000 steps a day, it’s rarely explained why that’s a guideline.
“Any exercise that increases your heart rate is good for weight loss, but walking is so easy because you don’t need loads of kit – you can just go out your front door and walk around the block a few times,” says the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health’s Dr Ian Beasley.
He adds that walking is low impact – “you are very unlikely to get injured,” and it doesn’t have the socio-psychological barriers that can come with other cardiovascular exercises, such as running or swimming. “If you think you don’t look good in running kit, that doesn’t really matter because you’re just walking – it’s what everyone does.”
