Do several short walks equal one long one?

I usually find it easier to take three or four 10- or 15-minute walks each day. Do I get any health benefits from this, or should I strive to do a 30- or 60-minute walk?

Recently, my schedule has been very hectic and I too have been finding short walks easier to fit in than one long one. Recent research suggests that not only is this okay for people aiming to lose weight, it may actually be better than one long walk, because it may boost both your compliance and your calorie burn throughout the day.

If your goal, however, is endurance or increased fitness, longer walks – during which you can warm up, push to go faster and cool down – will be more effective.

It also depends on where you’re starting. If you’re sedentary, you’ll increase your fitness and cardiovascular conditioning with short walks. But if you’re already a walker, the short walks probably won’t do much for your fitness level, except help you maintain some fitness until your schedule permits longer, faster walks.

Hope that helps. Hint: Make your short walks count. I head for steep hills that are close to my house and walk up and down twice in 15 minutes.

1 thought on “Do several short walks equal one long one?”

  1. I used to be an avid walker, but over time have dropped off to no exercise at all. I just started short walks today, because thats all I can manage. I will post back with updates.

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