Here’s How Long You Should Walk Every Day to Keep Your Heart Healthy

According to guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services recently supported by the American Heart Association (AHA), adults should try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week.

While 150 minutes of physical activity may sound like a lofty goal, experts say that if you break it down day by day, you could meet that goal by walking for about 20 minutes a day. 

The reality is that fewer than 1 in 4 adults are able to meet the recommended amount of physical activity, and certain groups—including older adults, females, and those in lower socioeconomic statuses—are even less likely to meet the goal.

Here’s why walking matters for heart health, and what other activities you can do to support your overall well-being.

How Much Do You Need to Walk?

A scientific statement published in the May issue of the AHA journal Circulation highlights that many people are not able to meet the recommended guidelines, and that many communities may not even be aware that a bit of daily walking can improve their health. The authors hope their findings will provide an opportunity to focus community efforts on physical activity programs in places where people need them the most.

The authors wrote that even though bringing awareness to the lower levels of physical activities in certain groups “will not address the underlying structural inequities that deserve attention,” it’s still important to promote physical activity—especially in adults with “both low physical activity levels and poor cardiovascular health.”

Experts say your daily 20-minute exercise goal can be cumulative: Walking throughout the day adds up.

“Going for a brisk walk gets you moving toward that goal,” Gerald Jerome, PhD, FAHA, volunteer chair of the writing committee for the scientific statement and a behavioral exercise scientist and professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Towson University, told Verywell. “Taking the stairs or parking a little farther away from a store entrance also helps you move toward your goal.”

How Does Walking Improve Heart Health? 

Smadar Kort, MD, a cardiologist and Director of the Echocardiography and Structural Heart Imaging Program at Stony Brook Heart Institute, told Verywell that going for a walk increases your heart rate so it can pump more oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. It also improves blood flow in your body, can lower blood pressure, and can make your heart stronger over time. 

“Walking can help a person maintain a healthy weight or lose weight if he or she is overweight, and it can lower blood pressure,” Kort added.

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, regular activity such as walking can help lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol and increase HDL or “good” cholesterol levels. That can be another step in the right direction for heart health because high levels of “bad” cholesterol can clog your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Regular physical activity can also reduce inflammation throughout your body and lower your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, and coronary heart disease. Additionally, it’s good for your mental health.

“Walking, especially in nature, can help reduce stress,” said Kort. “We know that stress has a negative effect on our health—including cardiovascular health.”

What Other Activities Support a Healthy Heart? 

Walking every day isn’t for everyone—and that’s OK. Kort said there are many other activities that you can do to improve your cardiovascular health.

Yoga, running, swimming, cycling, dancing, playing soccer, tennis, or pickleball, weight lifting, climbing stairs, jumping rope, hiking, and even engaging in gardening or heavy yard work like digging can help your heart, mind, and body.

“Any physical activity counts! These are all great activities that can count towards that required weekly exercise,” said Kort. “It’s never too late to start getting active. Even people who never engaged in physical activity can start.” 

When picking an activity to do and deciding how long to do it daily, Christopher Tanayan, MD, the Director of Sports Cardiology at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, told Verywell you should try to spread the minutes throughout the week to get into a habit of regular physical activity.

Depending on your interests, Tanayan said that using different cardio tools like bikes, ellipticals, and taking stairs, will help you “achieve the recommendation more easily and consistently than sticking to one routine,” since mixing it up helps you avoid getting bored.

Kort added that you should talk to your healthcare provider before you start an exercise program—especially if you were not active before. They can help you figure out the safest activities for you to do and recommend a routine that will be most beneficial for your health.

Other Ways to Make Your Heart Stronger 

Besides being active and getting in physical activity, experts say that there are some other things that you can do to improve your heart health and strength:

• Eat a nutritious diet (including a variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as protein from plants and seafood)
• Cut down on high-sugar foods (like candy and soda) and limit foods rich in salt (such as frozen meals and snacks and canned goods)
• Avoid smoking and quit if you do
• Limit your alcohol intake
• Manage your stress levels
• See your provider for regular check-ups and health screenings