STEP UP YOUR WALKS

Make sure your daily stroll is challenging, refreshing, and fun.

-  KAREN ASP

WALKING REMAINS the most popular fitness activity for good reason: You can do it anywhere, and it's a surprisingly effective workout. "Walking improves your psychological and physical health," says Patricia Friberg, a health and wellness coach in Los Angeles. For starters, it's low impact, which means it puts less stress and strain on your joints, says Samantha Parker, a certified personal trainer and yoga therapist in Washington, D.C.

The health benefits of hoofing it don't end there. The workout cuts your risk of type 2 diabetes and stroke. And people who walk for 30 minutes a day have a lower risk of heart disease, dementia. and cancer, according to two studies published in JAMA journals in 2022.

Walking can also improve your mood-especially if you walk outside-and decrease symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. After walking, you might also find that you're more creative, focused, and productive. And if you're getting your steps outdoors, you may even feel a stronger connection with your community, or at the very least, your neighborhood, Friberg adds.

To get the most benefits, you'll want to walk briskly (you've hit it if you can still talk but can't sing). Here, fitness experts share simple strategies for not only making walks more fun, but also for engaging your mind and body to make the steps fly by.

Walk with intention