Does walking build muscle? | Live Science

June 10, 2022

2 4 minutes read

What muscles are worked while walking?

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Walking is predominantly going to be working your lower body, and mainly stimulating your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves and hip adductors, as well as your spine and abdominal muscles, which all have a significant role in stabilizing your trunk as you move forwards.

“Walking is one of the best all round leg workouts,” says Starkowitz, who also mentions the need to include small hand weights or Nordic poles if you’re looking to expand walking into a full-body workout.

Can you burn fat while walking?

close up of walking person's shoes

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Yes. “Cardiovascular exercise, along with the correct diet, is a great recipe for burning fat,” says Starkowitz. “The key is to monitor your heart rate and work in what is known as the‘ Fat Burning Zone ’. This usually equates to working at 60% -70% of your maximum heart rate, which in general equates to a 7-12 calorie burn per minute. ”

Another important aspect to consider when looking for fat-burning results from walking is duration.

“Working at this low to moderate intensity means you need to ensure your walks are long enough to see meaningful results,” says Starkowitz.

Also remember that if you’re looking to exercise for weight loss, morning is best, with a study in the International Journal of Obesity (opens in new tab)finding that participants undertaking a 10-month supervised exercise program experienced greater weight loss success when exercising between 7am and 11:59 am.

“Regular walking helps preserve lean muscle mass,” says Starkowitz. “Muscle mass, unlike fat, is metabolically active, which means that on a daily basis, you are burning more calories.”

Need help squeezing in the extra steps? Install one of the best walking treadmills (opens in new tab) under your desk and you can stroll as you work.

Maximizing muscle building while walking

image shows two women walking

Mixing up the terrain

Image shows person hiking up uneven terrain

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Another great way to boost your muscle building is to take your walk off flat ground and ramp up the incline.

“Walking on trails, roads, grass, inclined or uneven surfaces, or unstable ones like sand or gravel, will challenge the muscles of your lower leg, ankles and feet more than on pavement, and they’ll have to work harder to maintain balance and stability, ”says Starkowitz. “Try alternating the route of your walk to include a few different inclines and surfaces, and if you find a set of stairs along your walk, take them.”

And if the idea of going off-road puts you off walking outside altogether, take your walks indoors with a treadmill. “Alternate between working at different inclines and speeds to vary the intensity and muscle recruitment of the workout,” Starkowitz says. “Lastly, if you are walking on a treadmill, let go of the handrails. You will increase the calorie burn and recruitment of the core muscles far more. ”

Further reading

Effects of 10-week walking and walking with home-based resistance training on muscle quality, muscle size, and physical functional tests in healthy older individuals (opens in new tab).

The effects of exercise session timing on weight loss and components of energy balance. (opens in new tab)

The Effectiveness of Physical Exercise on Bone Density in Osteoporotic Patients. (opens in new tab)