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You can absolutely improve your health by walking. Going for a brisk walk on the trails has numerous benefits for your physical and mental well-being. However, is walking sufficient as the sole form of exercise for staying fit after reaching 40? This query was directed to experts who reveal insights about this form of low-impact physical activity.
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Is Walking Enough Exercise to Stay Fit After 40?
Walking can be an excellent way to build and maintain your aerobic fitness, burn fat, increase VO2max, reduce stress, improve sleep, and boost bone density. However, walking alone is not enough to preserve your fitness and health after you reach 40.
You Need Strength Training Too
“Strength training is [also] essential for those over 40 and those of any age,” explains Kaleigh Ray, running biomechanist and certified exercise physiologist (ACSM) at Treadmill Review Guru. “Maintaining and increasing muscle mass is important for health and cannot be accomplished with walking alone. Increased muscle mass is associated with longevity, better health outcomes, and improved quality of life.”
Walking Won’t Build Muscle
Walking on its own does not build muscle strength. Kaleigh recommends incorporating at least two to three strength training sessions into your week.
“As walking primarily works the legs, it’s even more important to train the core and upper body during these sessions,” she adds.
Now, don’t hang up your walking shoes! Getting in your steps is an amazing part of your weekly fitness routine.
Walking Is Still Underrated
“Walking is a highly underrated way to stay healthy after 40,” says Trond Nyland, functional fitness advocate and CEO and founder of high-performance training gear brand, Fynd. “It is low-impact, accessible, and sustainable, making it a perfect starting point for anyone returning to movement or looking to stay active long term.”
Trond reinforces that walking supports your joint mobility, cardiovascular fitness, and mental well-being, but in order to build and preserve muscle mass, strength training is a must.
Consistency Beats Intensity
“Muscle tends to decline with age, so incorporating resistance work, flexibility routines, and balance exercises alongside walking helps round out your fitness and maintain long-term resilience,” he tells us.
As we said earlier, don’t stop walking, because it’s bursting with goodness. And keep in mind that it’s not how hard you walk, but rather how consistent you get out there.
“Walking regularly builds a foundation for long-term health and can be the gateway to other forms of exercise,” Trond says. “Even if it starts small, a daily walking routine is one of the simplest and most effective steps you can take to improve overall fitness after 40.”
Alexa Mellardo
