How Much Walking Is Too Much

Walking is a low-impact aerobic activity with many health benefits. It's a great way to improve cardiovascular health, manage weight, and boost mood. But, as with any exercise, it's possible to overdo it. If you walk for exercise or plan to start, you might wonder: How much walking is too much?

The answer depends on several factors. Here's what you need to know about how much walking is too much for you.

What is considered too much walking?

There's no single amount of walking that's considered too much. It depends on the following factors.

Your fitness level

When you're new to exercise (including walking) or returning to it after a break, your body needs time to adjust. You may not be able to walk far without feeling sore and achy. But, if you've been doing walking workouts or other aerobic exercises regularly, you can probably walk a lot more before you hit your limit.

Your walking intensity

Several things affect your exercise intensity, including your speed, duration, and the terrain you walk on. If you walk at a relaxed pace on a flat surface, you'll be able to cover more ground than if you power walk or walk uphill. Walking faster or at an incline makes your muscles, heart, and lungs work harder, which can be much more tiring.

Your health and physical ability

Health conditions or injuries can limit how much walking you can safely do. If you're sick, recovering from an illness or injury, or have a weakened immune system, too much physical activity can put more stress on your body. It may worsen symptoms, increase fatigue, and delay recovery. Talk to a healthcare professional about how much walking is safe for you in these situations.

Signs of walking too much

It can be hard to distinguish between challenging yourself and overexerting yourself. Consider the following signs that you may be overdoing it with walking. You experience:

• Longer recovery time after your walks

• Prolonged muscle soreness, stiffness, or heaviness

• Persistent tiredness or fatigue

• Decreased performance, such as an inability to walk as far or fast

• More frequent injuries, such as muscle strains or sprains

• Less motivation to go walking

• Increased irritability or moodiness

• Less appetite or weight loss

• Frequent colds

Even when you know the signs, it might be hard to determine whether too much walking, overtraining, or something else is causing your symptoms. Overtraining occurs when you do frequent or intense exercise of any kind without enough rest and recovery. Talk to a healthcare professional if you're unsure what's causing your symptoms.

How much should you walk?

Experts recommend doing cardio, such as brisk walking, on most days. Aim for a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week. So, you might walk for 25 minutes a day, six days a week.

Walking more than this may provide additional health benefits. Taking 10,000 steps a day, for example, is a popular goal. And, while it may be a beneficial target, it's not a magic number that works for everyone. One study found that adults who took 7,000 steps per day had a lower mortality risk than those who took fewer steps. But there wasn't a major difference in health benefits for those who took 7,000 and 10,000 or more daily steps.

Ultimately, the goal is to be as active as you can without overdoing it. So, try not to stress about hitting a specific step count every day. Instead, focus on increasing your walking intensity -- such as pace, distance, or frequency -- over time. Walking at a higher intensity means you can reap benefits in less time. But it also puts more stress on your body, so you may not be able to do as much. You can play around with different walking workouts - like power walking or hiking - to find out which plan works best for you.

How can you prevent injuries from walking?

Although walking is a low-impact activity, injuries can still happen, especially if you overdo it. These tips can help you increase your walking workouts without injury.

Warm up and cool down

Start your workouts with a warmup -- such as slow walking and dynamic stretches -- to increase your heart rate, boost blood flow, and loosen your muscles. Then, finish with a cooldown that includes slow walking and static stretches to jumpstart recovery.

Increase intensity gradually

Doing too much too soon is a common workout mistake. And it's a recipe for injuries and overtraining. Start with shorter walks at a slower pace, and slowly increase your distance and intensity as you get fitter. For example, you can increase your step count by up to 10% per week until you find a step count that works for you. This will allow your body to adapt to the stress and grow stronger.

Get proper footwear

Wearing ill-fitting or unsupportive shoes can cause injuries and muscle imbalances. The best walking shoes are well-cushioned and stable. They should fit comfortably and allow you to walk smoothly.

Listen to your body

Pay attention to changes, such as persistent muscle aches, that may indicate that you need to reduce your walking frequency or intensity. This is your body's way of telling you that you need more rest. You shouldn't push yourself to walk through pain or fatigue. And you should include active recovery or passive rest days in your routine.

Mix up your workouts

Doing the same workout all the time can lead to fitness plateaus and repetitive stress injuries. Try challenging your body in new ways with other cardio workouts, like swimming and biking. Include strength training and flexibility workouts in your routine as well.

What exercises are the best alternative to walking?

Cross-training builds different types of exercise in one fitness plan. It can help you get fit and stay injury-free. Other low-impact aerobic activities you can do instead of or in addition to walking include:

• Swimming

• Cycling

• Step aerobics

• Water aerobics

• Elliptical training

• Kayaking

• Jogging

• Rowing

You can also break up your walking workouts with resistance training, which strengthens your muscles and bones. Experts recommend doing strength training activities that target all your major muscle groups at least twice a week. You can try:

• Weight lifting

• Calisthenics (body weight exercises)

• Yoga

• Pilates

• Barre

• Circuit training