Regular exercise can be challenging, whether due to busy schedules, chronic conditions, or mobility issues. That said, a simple daily walk can serve as exercise while offering numerous health benefits for older adults.

Most people need at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity to help maintain their health. This is even more important for older adults over 65, but most people within this age group don’t reach the recommended amount.

Read on to learn how walking can help support your health, how often you should do it, and what can make it easier to form and maintain a walking habit over time.

Walking can bring a lot of good to your health, especially in older age. Benefits of walking include:

  • Weight: Walking helps burn calories, which can help with weight maintenance or fat loss. The number of calories you burn while walking will vary based on speed, distance, terrain, and your current weight. Use a calorie calculator or a chart for estimates.
  • Heart: Walking is a great way to boost your heart health by helping reduce blood pressure and blood vessel health.
  • Blood sugar: Research suggests that light walking can more effectively improve post-meal blood sugar levels than standing. This, in turn, may help reduce the chance of developing diabetes, a disease more common as people age.
  • Joints and muscles: Walking can help strengthen and support your muscles while protecting and lubricating your joints, including your knees. This can be especially beneficial if you have arthritis.
  • Immune system: Regular exercise, including walking, can help lower your chance of developing colds, flu, and other illnesses.
  • Energy: Walking when you’re tired may help boost energy by increasing oxygen flow and raising levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine, hormones that elevate energy. Over time, it can also help reduce the stress hormone cortisol.
  • Mental health: A 2021 study suggests that moderate and vigorous walking can help boost mental health among people over 65. Walking regularly is also generally known to help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
  • Brain: A 2021 review found that aerobic exercise significantly improves memory and decision making in cognitively healthy adults. Similarly, another study linked exercise to a reduced risk of developing dementia. A 2020 study suggests faster walking may lower stroke risk, and various studies indicate regular walking can enhance sleep quality.
  • Age-related diseases: Research has found that taking more daily steps may be associated with a lower risk of cancer and death, as well as respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For older adults, walking regularly could lower pneumonia-related mortality by up to 42%.
  • Life span: Walking, especially faster, may help extend your life. Researchers found that women with heart disease who walked fast had a 28% reduced chance of death and lower hospitalization rates than slower walkers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults 65 and older engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week.

Research generally indicates that a brisk walk for at least 30 minutes on 5 days of the week can help fulfill this guideline.

Depending on your fitness level, you could achieve this by walking for 30 minutes 5 days a week or by opting for longer sessions spread across fewer days.

As we age, we may experience mobility challenges that limit our exercise options. This is especially true if we have a condition that can cause pain or impact our mobility, like arthritis.

First and foremost, it’s important to consult your doctor to determine what kind of exercise, including walking, you can safely engage in regularly.

That said, there are some assistive devices that can help support your body while walking. These include:

  • Canes or crutches: According to the Arthritis Foundation, a cane or crutch may help if you experience pain on one side of your body that affects your ability to balance or walk.
  • Walkers: These can offer extra stability if you feel shaky while standing or walking.
  • Footwear: Orthotics and supportive soles or inserts can help ease joint pressure and make walking more comfortable. If you have difficulty bending, you can use a shoehorn with a long handle when you put your shoes on. Also, consider getting no-tie shoes to make it easier if you have swollen joints.
  • Back braces: These can help support your back if you experience back pain.

Did you know?

Under Original Medicare‘s Part B, many assistive devices are covered under the Durable Medical Equipment (DME) benefit. Even if you’re insured by Medicare Advantage (Part C), you should get the same coverage from your plan.

The CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise weekly for health maintenance, with daily walks being a simple option that’s easy to maintain.

In general, and especially for those over 65, walking can support weight management and heart and brain health, reduce diabetes risk, strengthen muscles, lubricate joints, boost immunity, and increase energy. It can also support good mental health, memory, and decision making while helping lower the risk of dementia, stroke, cancer, and respiratory diseases.

Consider using an assistive device like a cane if you need mobility support. To build a good walking habit, begin with a smaller goal, like 15 minutes daily or 30 minutes twice a week, and gradually increase.

Try to walk simultaneously each day and attach walking to something enjoyable, like listening to music or audiobooks. Keep comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing nearby, and consider walking with a partner if solo walks are more challenging.