Walking, often overlooked in the realm of high-intensity workouts, remains a cornerstone of overall well-being.It’s accessible, low-impact, and free. But does walking actually build muscle? While it might not sculpt a physique like weightlifting, walking offers a surprising array of benefits that extend far beyond mere transportation.

The Physiological Impact of Walking

Walking engages the entire body. From a physiological point of view, walking is an activity that involves the whole body, says Professor Brian Carson, exercise physiologist at the University of Limerick and scientific director at Whole Supp. When we walk,we use our muscles to propel us,which increases energy expenditure,thus increasing the metabolic demands placed in the muscles and body as a whole.

• Increased Oxygen Intake: Breathing accelerates to supply more oxygen to muscles.
• Neurological Activation: The brain and the nervous system become more active as we absorb and process sensory details of the surroundings around us and the movement itself, while providing muscle stimuli in a coordinated sequence to help us move fluently, according to Carson.
• Creative Boost: A 2014 Stanford University study showed an 81% increase in creativity during and after walking, especially outdoors.
• Energy Conversion: The body taps into nutrient stores in muscle, adipose, and liver tissues to fuel movement.

beyond Basic Locomotion: Additional Benefits

Walking is more than just a way to get from point A to point B. It’s a powerful tool for relaxation and cognitive enhancement.

• Stress Reduction: Walking at a comfortable pace activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing cortisol levels.
• Brain growth: A 2011 study revealed that regular aerobic exercise like walking increased the size of the hippocampus and boosted brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in older adults. Abigail Ireland, Undersstanding Performance’s maximum performance stratega, explains, This is like a fertilizer for the brain, helping brain cells grow, strengthen and communicate more effectively with each other.
• Combating Sedentary Behaviour: Walking interrupts prolonged sitting, a major health risk.
• Improved Cardiovascular Health: Interestingly, the speed we walk has influence, and a faster walk results in better health results, such as indicators of all causes and cardiovascular mortality, Carson notes.

Muscle Building: Fact or fiction?

The age-old gym lore suggests that cardio negates muscle gains. But can walking truly contribute to muscle advancement?

While walking alone might not lead to notable muscle hypertrophy, it plays a crucial role in muscle maintenance and can be enhanced for better results.

• Muscle Maintenance: Carson points out that reducing steps to less than 1,500 a day can lead to significant reductions in lean leg mass and a 28% decrease in muscle protein synthesis, even after a protein-rich meal.
• Superior to Sedentary Lifestyle: Studies confirm that walking is undoubtedly better than prolonged sitting.
• Synergistic Effects: Ireland highlights research indicating that walking combined with resistance training is more effective in preserving muscle mass.

Fat Burning Potential

Walking’s impact on weight loss is more pronounced than its effect on muscle building. The key lies in effort and consistency.

• Rucking for Fat Loss: A 2020 study demonstrated that weighted walking reduces fat mass and body weight.
• Adjustable Intensity: as with everything, our approach has an impact on the result. We can adjust levers such as speed, slope and intensity to influence our results, Ireland states.
• Fat Burning Zone: Walking is a low-intensity cardiovascular activity that keeps you in the fat-burning zone, utilizing a wide array of muscles from quadriceps and hamstrings to abdominal muscles and arms.

The Verdict: is Walking Worth It?

Absolutely. Unless you’ve mastered the art of flight, walking remains a valuable form of exercise.It’s superior to sedentary alternatives and offers numerous health benefits.

• Foundation of Physical Activity: We should think of walking as the basis of our physical activity and a means of maintaining or improving our health, says Carson, who also recommends walking as an excellent zone 2 exercise, where the body primarily burns fat for energy.
• Holistic Approach: I wouldn’t say that walking is a trick of fitness; It is literally the way we should move, Ireland emphasizes. She advocates integrating strength, resistance, and adaptability training alongside walking for comprehensive fitness.