With January in full swing, millions of Britons are vowing to get healthier – but experts say you don’t need an expensive gym membership or fancy kit to see real results.
In fact, something as simple as a daily walk can help you burn more calories, lose weight faster and dramatically cut the risk of heart disease, dementia and even some cancers, research suggests.
Studies show that even ten minutes of purposeful walking a day can boost health – yet the average Briton manages just 5,951 steps, well below levels linked to the biggest benefits.
People living in Sheffield walk more than anywhere else in the UK, clocking up an average 7,209 steps a day. But experts say it’s not just how far you walk that matters – it’s how you walk.
By making a few small tweaks to pace, posture and effort, this everyday activity can be transformed into a calorie-burning workout.
Scientists say brisk walking raises heart rate into a metabolic ‘sweet spot’, where the body burns fat efficiently while remaining easy to sustain.
Regular walking has also been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, helping the body store less energy as fat over time.
Crucially, these changes increase energy use without triggering the hunger spikes often seen with intense gym sessions.
We asked the experts exactly how to get the most out of it.
A new study shows walking 7,000 steps a day may ward off chronic diseases (stock image) but Britons only walk 5000 on average
Ditch the 10,000 target
For years, the idea that we must walk 10,000 steps a day has been treated as gospel. But the target actually came from a 1960s Japanese marketing campaign, when a company launched a pedometer called the manpo-kei – meaning ‘10,000-step meter’.
Now scientists say the real health sweet spot is lower – and far more achievable. A major analysis published last year, examining data from nearly 160,000 people across almost 60 studies, found that walking around 7,000 steps a day was enough to deliver major benefits.
Compared with people who walked just 2,000 steps a day, those hitting 7,000 had a 25 per cent lower risk of heart disease, a 38 per cent lower risk of dementia, a reduced risk of several cancers and lower rates of depression. Researchers say the advantage comes partly from higher total daily calorie burn, which makes it easier to maintain or lose weight over time.
In short, you don’t need marathon-level mileage – consistent movement burns more calories across the day than sporadic bursts of intense exercise.
Pick up the pace to burn more calories
Experts say pace is just as important as step count when it comes to weight loss. Walking faster forces the body to work harder, raising heart rate and oxygen demand and significantly increasing calorie burn per minute.
A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine followed 86,000 adults for 17 years and found that those who walked at a brisk pace for at least 15 minutes a day were far less likely to die during the study period than slower walkers.
Activity like walking has been shown to slash the risk of cancer, dementia and heart disease
Both groups benefited, but the biggest gains were seen among those who regularly picked up the pace. Other research suggests the ideal speed is around five kilometres per hour – roughly three miles per hour.
A 2018 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine linked walking at this pace to a lower risk of death from any cause, including heart disease and cancer, while experts say it also sits in the sweet spot for fat burning.
The easiest way to judge your speed is the ‘talk test’. Anwen Davies, a Wales-based personal trainer, said: ‘If you can sing a song, you’re going too slow. If you can talk but feel slightly out of breath, you’re in the ideal zone for heart health and fat loss.’
Make sure you have good technique
Good technique doesn’t just prevent injury – it also helps you burn more calories. Taking longer, purposeful strides, swinging the arms and rolling the foot from heel to toe recruits more muscle groups, increasing energy use with every step.
Ms Davies said: ‘A lot of people just slap their feet down, which sends shockwaves into the knees and hips. The natural roll from the heel to the ball of the foot acts as a shock absorber and makes walking more efficient.
‘When you walk with good form, your body works harder without you noticing – which is exactly what you want for sustainable fat loss.’
Some research even suggests that walking with strong technique may deliver greater long-term calorie burn than short treadmill workouts, simply because people stick with it.
If you want to burn more calories without walking faster or for longer, experts say adding hills and stairs is one of the most effective tweaks you can make
Carry everyday loads to increase energy use
Weighted vests and backpacks have become popular with avid walkers because they force the muscles to work harder, increasing calorie burn and accelerating fat loss.
But you can achieve a similar effect without specialist equipment. Carrying shopping bags or wearing a backpack forces muscles to work harder, increasing calorie burn with each step.
Research on load carriage shows that even modest additional weight raises oxygen demand and energy expenditure.
Specialists stress the weight should be light, balanced and increased gradually, but say carrying groceries home can effectively turn a routine walk into a strength-building workout.
Ms Davies said: ‘Adding weight can be very effective, but if you have a history of back, disc or knee problems, you should check with a health professional first.
Walk uphill – or take the stairs – to burn more calories
If you want to burn more calories without walking faster or for longer, experts say adding hills and stairs is one of the most effective tweaks you can make.
Both force the body to work against gravity, dramatically increasing muscle recruitment in the glutes, thighs and calves.
Exercise physiology studies show that walking uphill can increase calorie burn by 50 to 60 per cent compared with walking on flat ground at the same speed. Stair climbing is even more demanding, with research suggesting it burns more calories per minute than jogging, while also improving cardiovascular fitness and leg strength.
Experts say even short bouts – such as choosing stairs over lifts, walking up escalators or adding a few hilly sections to a route – can significantly boost fat burn without placing the impact stress on joints associated with running.
Use short bursts of speed to spike calorie burn
Another evidence-backed way to increase calorie burn is interval walking – alternating brief periods of fast walking with slower recovery phases.
Scientists say this approach raises heart rate more effectively than steady-paced walking, leading to higher overall energy use.
Studies comparing interval walking with continuous walking have found that adding short bursts of faster pace improves aerobic fitness and increases total calorie burn, even when the total walking time stays the same.
Experts say walking briskly for 30 to 60 seconds every few minutes is enough to deliver measurable benefits.
Swing your arms properly to engage more muscle
How you move your upper body matters more than many people realise. Researchers say actively swinging the arms from the shoulders, rather than letting them hang loosely, engages the upper body and core, increasing energy expenditure.
Biomechanics studies suggest purposeful arm swing can raise calorie burn by around 5–10 per cent during walking by recruiting muscles in the shoulders, back and abdomen.
Experts say the movement should feel natural and controlled rather than exaggerated, with elbows bent and arms moving in rhythm with the legs.
Time your walk after meals to improve metabolism
When you walk can be just as important as how you walk. Research shows that walking shortly after eating helps control blood sugar levels, which plays a key role in weight gain and fat storage.
Multiple studies have found that walking for 10–15 minutes after meals significantly reduces post-meal blood sugar spikes compared with sitting down.
Scientists say this improves insulin sensitivity and may reduce the amount of energy stored as fat over time, even if total daily steps remain unchanged.
Why walking often beats the gym for fat loss
Although walking burns fewer calories per minute than running, scientists say it often leads to greater fat loss over time because people are more likely to do it consistently.
Research shows regular moderate activity results in higher total weekly energy expenditure than sporadic high-intensity exercise, which many people struggle to maintain.
Experts also point out that walking causes less fatigue and fewer hunger spikes than intense workouts, making it easier to sustain a calorie deficit without overeating afterwards.
