6 Tips to Turn Your Daily Walk Into an Effective Cardio Workout

Walking is one of the simplest and most accessible ways to be more active. It offers numerous benefits, from lifting your spirits to lowering your risk of heart disease. You can up the intensity of your walking workouts by adding intervals, walking uphill, or carrying weights. Doing so could lead to even greater benefits. And it helps keep your exercise routine fresh and fun.

Tips to add intensity to your walking workout

The CDC recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio exercise each week. Walking counts towards that goal as long as you get your heart rate up and break a light sweat.

If you work at a higher intensity, you can meet the CDC's recommendation in 75 minutes per week. Making your walks more challenging may also enhance your results, whether your goal is to build muscle, lose weight, or improve your overall health. 

Here are some tried-and-tested ways to kick your walking workout up a notch and get more done in less time. 

1. Pick up the pace

A moderate-intensity walk puts you at around 3 mph or faster. If that feels too easy, you can pick up speed with a power walk. With power walking, you keep your pace just below a jog. And you pump your arms as you walk, which promotes greater muscle activation. 

Walking faster makes your heart, lungs, and muscles work harder. The increased challenge may help you burn more calories and build better fitness over time. Just be sure to find a pace you can maintain throughout your walk.

2. Wear a weighted vest 

Wearable weights are a great way to add resistance and increase the intensity of your walks. A weighted vest may be the best option for walking. Vests don't stress your limbs, unlike ankle and wrist weights, which may affect your movement. 

A 2019 study found that older adults who exercised with a weighted vest had better strength and aerobic capacity than those who exercised without a vest.

Weighted vests come with small weighted inserts, so you can easily add more weight as you get fitter. Start with lighter weight –– around 5% to 10% of your body weight –– and gradually increase the resistance. 

3. Try faster walking intervals 

Interval training involves alternating periods of higher-intensity activity with lower-intensity recovery periods. This training method allows you to add intensity without working too hard for too long. 

Interval training has been shown to promote weight loss, improve fitness, and reduce disease risk. One study found that interval walk training helped older adults increase knee flexibility, lower their blood pressure, and improve aerobic capacity. 

Interval training might also cut your walking time and help you get started with running. An easy way to get started is with a 1:2 ratio of work to recovery. Here's an example: 

• Start with a dynamic 5-minute warm-up. 

• Increase your pace and walk as fast as you can for 30 to 60 seconds. 

• Slow your pace to a moderate level for 1 to 2 minutes.

• Repeat these intervals throughout your walk. 

• Finish with a 5-minute cooldown that includes light cardio and static stretches.

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As you adjust to interval training, you can aim for longer high-intensity intervals and shorter recovery periods. Research suggests that more high-intensity walk time is associated with greater improvements in health and fitness than total time spent walking at any pace. 

4. Add inclines 

Walking uphill or at an incline activates your core and lower-body muscles more than level walking. The steeper the incline, the harder your muscles –– especially the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves –– work. So you can challenge your muscles and build strength over time. 

But you don't have to climb mountains to reap the benefits of incline walking. A study showed that treadmill walking at a 5% incline engaged more muscles than level walking. And it increased calorie burn by 69%. For perspective, many treadmills provide a 0% to 15% incline. 

Treadmill walkers can start by increasing the incline to 1% while maintaining their usual walking speed. Keep raising the incline level as you feel stronger. You can also do incline intervals, briefly walking at a higher incline and then reducing it to recover. This mimics the hills you might encounter outdoors. Hiking in nature is another great way to reap the benefits of incline walking.  

5. Walk in the sand 

Not ready to add inclines? Try walking in the sand. An uneven surface, like a sandy beach, adds a bit of resistance that a level surface doesn't. The extra resistance means that walking on sand requires more energy than walking on a flat surface. So you can burn more calories. Plus, walking on sand is lower-impact than ground walking. That can help protect your joints and prevent injury.

6. Incorporate strength exercises

Along with cardio, the CDC recommends that adults do strength training at least twice a week. These exercises should target all the major muscle groups in your body, including your arms, chest, core, and legs. A regular strength-training routine has been shown to aid weight loss, build bone density, and prevent heart disease. It may also improve cognition, walking speed, and physical performance. 

And you don't even have to step foot in a gym to gain these benefits. Bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups, and planks can help you build strength and muscle. You can add strength-training intervals to power up your walking workout and save time. 

If you're walking in a park or along a trail, stop every 5 to 10 minutes to do a few sets of squats or push-ups. You can use park benches to do step-ups. If you're walking on a treadmill, pause the machine and hop off to do a few sets of resistance exercises, then resume your walking workout. 

How to create a walking workout plan that's right for you

Now you know how to put more “oomph” into your walking workout. You know the benefits of walking faster, harder, and more often. But that doesn't necessarily translate to success. You have to incorporate strategies and increase intensity in a way that works for you. 

When you're ready to boost your walking workout, try not to bite off more than you can chew. Don't immediately throw on your weighted vest and go speed-walking up dunes. That's a recipe for extreme next-day soreness, fatigue, and burnout. 

Choose one technique and give it a try. Build a few faster walking intervals into your regular workout and see how it feels. On a different day, increase the incline on your treadmill by a percentage or two. Or find a couple of easy hills in your neighborhood to walk up. If you don't enjoy one technique, try a different one. 

And remember, intensity isn't everything. The most important thing is that you get active regularly — at whatever intensity feels right for you. Finding ways to make walking more fun can also help you stick with it, so you can get the benefits of regular walking.

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Written by:

Jody Braverman, CPT, RYT

Jody Braverman has worked in the health and fitness industry –– as a trainer, yoga teacher, nutrition and lifestyle coach, writer, and editor –– for more than two decades. She graduated with a B.A. from the University of Maryland and maintains several accredited certifications.

Edited by:

Lauren Savage, MA

Lauren Savage, MA, is a health editor at GoodRx, where she focuses on movement, exercise, and healthy aging. She aims to provide readers with the information they need to live healthier, more active lifestyles.

Reviewed by:

Sanjai Sinha, MD

Sanjai Sinha, MD, is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in internal medicine.

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