- Many U.S. adults live sedentary lifestyles.
- Not walking regularly can lead to several health problems.
- Experts share strategies to incorporate more walking into your daily routine.
These days, it’s not uncommon to go through the day without walking much at all. Many of us work sedentary jobs, live in unwalkable areas, or face other barriers to walking safely. In fact, according to the American Heart Association, adults in the U.S. spend an average of six to eight hours a day sitting. So, it’s natural to wonder: What happens to your body when you don’t walk regularly?
Unfortunately, quite a lot happens, and none of it is good.
Believe it or not, walking has a big impact. It’s a load-bearing exercise that’s accessible, sustainable, and joint-friendly. It also gets the body and mind working without requiring much in terms of recovery, explains Jason Snibbe, M.D., board-certified orthopedic surgeon based in Los Angeles. Snibbe adds that walking is particularly beneficial for the lymphatic system, which—unlike the cardiovascular system, which has the heart to circulate blood—doesn’t have its own pump, instead relying on body movement.
Meet the Experts: Jason Snibbe, M.D., board-certified orthopedic surgeon based in Los Angeles; Amit Saini, M.D., geriatrician at Kaiser Permanente Medical Group.
While stiff joints may deter older adults from walking, it’s important to push through. Exercise improves muscle strength, which makes movement easier, and movement helps joints continue working smoothly—especially for people with arthritis. Moreover, walking helps older adults maintain their independence. “It’s one of the best holistic activities to stay healthy with regards to mind, body, and spirit,” says Amit Saini, M.D., a geriatrician at Kaiser Permanente Medical Group.
When people instead stay sedentary, it can lead to poorer health outcomes in several areas. Learn more below.
How not walking affects the body
Cardiovascular decline
“Regular walking helps to control blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol,” Dr. Saini says. So it’s hardly surprising that not walking has been linked to cardiovascular decline.
“Multiple studies have shown that mortality increases with inactivity, and the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and hypertension, increases significantly,” Dr. Saini says. “Data from the Honolulu Heart Program showed that older men walking greater than 1.5 miles per day had half the risk of new coronary heart disease compared to those walking less than 0.25 miles per day.”
Muscle atrophy and strength loss
Because walking is a weight-bearing exercise, it helps maintain muscle mass, tone, and function, explains Dr. Saini. Without this type of exercise, muscles weaken, which can significantly affect health, metabolism, injury risk, and independence.
Dr. Snibbe notes that skeletal muscle, particularly in the legs and glutes, begins losing mass within days to weeks of sedentary behavior. One study saw significant muscle atrophy in young and older adults after just 14 days of step reduction.
Bone density loss
“Stopping walking may accelerate the loss of bone mineral density and progression of osteoporosis,” explains Dr. Saini. “This increases the risk of fractures in the older adult population.”
Once again, this is related to walking as a weight-bearing exercise, notes Dr. Scribbe. “Without it, bone remodeling shifts toward resorption—a process that accelerates significantly after age 40 and is directly relevant to fracture risk,” he explains.
Increased insulin resistance
“Short-term inactivity, as few as three days of reducing daily steps from about 12,000 to 5,000, produces significantly higher post-meal glucose levels,” explains Dr. Saini. “Prolonged sedentary behavior is associated with increased fasting glucose, higher triglycerides, and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.” All of those factors raise the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Cognitive decline
“Walking increases BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which supports neuroplasticity and hippocampal volume,” says Dr. Scribbe. “Sedentary individuals show higher rates of depression, anxiety, and faster age-related cognitive decline.”
How much to walk
You may have heard about aiming for 10,000 steps per day, but both of our experts say that 7,000 to 8,000 steps have shown the most benefit in studies.
“The commonly cited 10,000 steps originated from a 1960s Japanese marketing campaign, not clinical research,” says Dr. Scribbe. More recent data, including a large 2021 study, suggest the meaningful mortality and morbidity benefits plateau around 7,000 to 8,500 steps. While walking more than that has diminishing returns for health, he adds, it’s not harmful.
For cardiovascular and metabolic benefits specifically, the American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of brisk walking most days. “For a 70 to 75-year-old person, the evidence supports a tiered approach: at minimum, about 2,500 to 3,000 steps per day provides measurable mortality and cardiovascular benefit,” says Dr. Saini.
How to walk more
There are several easy ways to increase your daily step count, experts say. Here are a few tips from Dr. Scribbe and Dr. Saini.
Anchor it to something: Commit to walking after coffee, after lunch, or at the end of the workday. (This technique is also called “habit stacking.”)
Make it the default: Park your car further from the door, take calls while walking, or take the stairs whenever possible.
Get a simple tracker: “Awareness alone changes behavior,” Dr. Scribbe says. “Passive step counting works.”
Make it fun: “Walk with someone or somewhere you enjoy—compliance rates are dramatically higher when walking has social or environmental reinforcement,” says Dr. Scribbe.
A little is better than none: “Lower the bar on hard days—a 10-minute walk is not nothing,” says Dr. Scribbe. “The research on sedentary breaks suggests even short bouts distributed through the day confer real benefit.”
Address barriers: “If someone is experiencing pain when walking, the use of supportive footwear and walking aids, such as canes or trekking poles, can make walking comfortable and safer,” explains Dr. Saini. “If there’s a fear of falling, walk with someone or with an assisted device like a cane or walking pole. Start walking on a flat, familiar surfaces that are well illuminated.”
Footwear matters: “The irony of the wrong shoes stopping someone from walking is entirely preventable,” says Dr. Scribbe. “You should replace your shoes every four months if you’re walking 10,000 steps a day.”
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