Walking is one of the simplest and most accessible forms of fitness, but it’s often overlooked. Walking has the potential to improve your mood, memory, and sleep, and prevent diseases like heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes Mayo Clinic. It’s an easy way to get moving and improve your cardiovascular fitness that requires nothing more than a pair of shoes (OK, and maybe a killer playlist or a good podcast).
Whether walking is part of your exercise plan or you just want to improve your steps, it can be helpful to track how far you walk or how many steps you take – perhaps with a walking app. Some experts recommend aiming for 10,000 steps a day for general wellness or weight loss goals, but lots of walking can be beneficial for your health. Just a brisk 30-minute walk can log you 3,000-5,000 steps and increase your heart rate. (Don’t want to get outside or the weather is iffy? Consider one of these treadmill workouts instead.)
If you want to be more aware of your walks or gait training, it can help to use an app to track your steps or distance. There are many free walking apps you can add to your phone to track steps and distance, create workouts, and monitor your progress — and some even let you make some money. Whether you have a specific goal, e.g. B. train for a big hike, or just want to get more active, we’ve rounded up 11 of the best walking apps to help you achieve your fitness goals.
– Additional reporting by Lauren Mazzo and Naomi Parris