Does Walking to Work Count as Exercise?

Health experts recommend that the average adult get about 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. But sometimes people are unsure about what counts as exercise. For instance, does walking to work count?

Walking to work counts as exercise. One of the best things you can do for your health is to walk regularly. It improves cardiovascular health, stabilizes blood sugar, lowers blood pressure, and can improve mood. If done properly, walking is the only exercise that most people need.

Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of walking and to find out how to make your walk to work a safe and comfortable one. This article will also cover tips for making the most of this form of exercise

Walking Is a Great Exercise

Walking is considered to be an aerobic activity, and it’s great for your overall health. It has been shown to benefit both your body and your mind. It improves heart and circulatory system health in general. People who walk at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week, have a nearly 20% lower chance of developing coronary artery disease.

Nearly every part of your body will benefit from walking. It can lower your blood sugar and your blood pressure. Walking can also ease joint pain. It can raise levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol, boosting your energy. Walking can even improve your immune functioning and make you less vulnerable to getting sick.

Walking also impacts your brain. It can elevate your mood, help you think creatively, improve your ability to organize and plan, and even increase the hippocampus’s size, which is the part of your brain you use to learn and remember. It may help your brain form new neurons and connections, contributing to overall brain health.

Even a stroll around the block counts as exercise. However, if you speed it up and walk a longer distance, you’ll be getting an even better workout. It’s also best to spread your exercise out over several days. Walking to work is an ideal way to accomplish all of these goals.

Need a little inspiration? Here’s a fun and informative video that shows the positive effects of daily walking:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ka7B3hCg08

Make Your Walk Safe and Practical

Walking to work is great for your health but make sure to do it the right way. Use a healthy walking technique and wear good shoes and reflective clothing to stay safe and pain-free. Bring everything you need with you in a well-designed bag, and be sure to carry rain gear so that you can arrive at work comfortable and dry.

Use Proper Technique

Believe it or not, there are right and wrong ways to walk. Bad walking habits can cause pain in your feet, ankles, legs, hips, and back. Lowering your head, for instance, is a common mistake.

Pain from arthritis and other conditions may also alter your gait. It’s important, though, to preserve as much of a normal gait as possible. Favoring a sore leg might feel like the right thing to do, but it can cause other problems.

The ideal walking position is to keep your head up and straighten your back. You can keep your head in the right position by looking 10-20 feet (3-6 meters) in front of you. Square your shoulders and keep them level.

Use shorter, quicker steps instead of trying to take long strides. Let your feet hit the ground heel first and use your toes to push off for your next step. Bend your arms about at about a 90-degree angle and move them back and forth at about waist level.

Think your stride might be causing you pain? Watch as Dr. Todd Martin demonstrates proper walking technique:

Wear the Right Shoes

Footwear that doesn’t cushion and support your feet can create pain and injuries in your hips, knees, and back. Choose shoes that are comfortable even when they’re new, and you shouldn’t have to break them in.

If you can’t move your toes around freely, you may need a larger or wider shoe. You also want a style that will grip the heel, not one that lets your heel slide around. Here are the kind of well-designed shoes you should consider:

Incarpo Women’s Walking Shoes: These sock-style walking shoes offer breathable comfort while still supporting your arches.
New Balance WMN FTWR: These women’s New Balance shoes combine classic style with New Balance’s legendary comfort and stability.
Brooks Ghost 12: Brooks’ men’s Ghost sneaker is well-known for its comfort, stability, support, and style.
Skechers Men’s Ultra Flex 2.0 Kelmar: This lightweight, breathable mesh shoe offers good arch support and memory foam cushioning.

Wear Reflective Clothing

Whenever you might need to walk in low-light conditions, be sure to wear something reflective so that you can be seen by cars. There are several options for reflective clothing. Here are some recommendations:

Reflective Bands for Men and Women: Reflective clothing can be as simple as these reflective bands, which can be worn on your wrists, arms, or ankles.
MOONSASH – USA Patented Hi-Visibility Reflective Sash: This reflective gear is a simple sash worn diagonally across your chest.
247 Viz Blaze – Reflective Vest 360: For serious low-light protection, try this reflective vest.

Bring Rain Gear

You don’t want an unexpected rain to leave you soaking wet for work. It’s a good idea to bring a poncho or umbrella if it looks at all like it might rain. Have a look at these great options:

Foxelli Hooded Rain Poncho: This poncho will keep you dry without cramping your professional style.
Raines by totes Adult Unisex Rain Poncho: A more casual but still very effective rain poncho.
SY COMPACT Travel Umbrella: This umbrella is small enough to tuck away in your bag but large enough to keep you dry.
EEZ-Y Windproof Travel Umbrella: Wind-resistant and compact, this umbrella has an easy, automatic open and close button.

Carry Everything in Style

You’ll need a way to get your lunch, laptop, office shoes, and other gear to work. When you’re covering a longer distance, you’ll want to avoid throwing your gait out of balance by carrying everything on one side in a briefcase or messenger bag. Instead, consider one of these practical and stylish choices:

Versatile Canvas Sling Bag/Urban Travel Backpack: Carry your things in comfort with this sling-style bag.
BOPAI Slim Laptop Backpack: Water-resistant with a built-in USB charging port, this backpack has hidden anti-theft features.
Himawari Laptop Backpack: Generously sized and available in many colors, this bag has an easy to access top-opening compartment.

Get More Out of Your Walk to Work

Experts recommend that you get either 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise per week. Whether it’s a vigorous or moderate activity depends on how you do it.

A moderate walking pace is about 100 steps per minute. If your walk is moderate aerobic exercise, you should be able to talk but not sing, and if it’s vigorous aerobic exercise, you should be able to say just a few words before you need to take a breath

At least a couple of times a week, you should also do strengthening activities. Weight lifting, pushups, walking uphill or upstairs, dance, and yoga are all strength exercises. If you don’t want to add another two exercise sessions to your weekly schedule, the good news is that you can make some changes in your walk to work that will make it great aerobic exercise and great strength exercise.

If you already need to walk over hilly terrain on your way to work, you’re all set with a strength exercise. However, what if you’re walking over mostly flat ground? You can wear wrist or ankle weights or even a weighted vest to increase resistance and make your walk into a strengthening activity. Consider these recommended weights:

Boveker Ankle Wrist Weights: The adjustable weights can be strapped to either ankles or wrists to add some weight to your walking workout.
Aduro Sport Weighted Vest: If you want to add some weight, you can wear this weighted vest from Aduro.

Curious to learn more about how to get the most out of your walk? Here’s a helpful video:

Conclusion

Walking to work in an exercise that has amazing health benefits. It is for both your body and your brain. To stay safe and comfortable, you should plan to use good walking technique and wear the right shoes and protective gear. If you add weights to your walk, it’s the only form of exercise you need.