6 Reasons to Take a 15 Minute Walk Today

women with braids in her hair taking a walk

Verywell Fit / Amelia Manley

Walking is more than a way to get from point A to point B—it's an accessible, enjoyable form of movement that can improve physical and mental health while facilitating social connections and boosting your creativity, focus, and productivity. While a lot of attention has been paid to the 10,000 steps per day goal, it's not necessary to aim for a particular number of steps in order to reap the benefits of daily walks. In fact, even a 15-minute walk can help break up a monotonous and sedentary day, boost blood flow, increase wellbeing, and help you tackle your to-dos. Learn more about the benefits of a 15-minute walk below.

Boost Your Mood

Walking is an elixir for your mental health in many ways. The physiological processes that occur while you walk and afterward, including increased blood flow, blood pressure regulation, hormone release, and blood sugar control, all improve your overall mood and mental health. 

Several studies have shown that walking daily, even for 15 minutes, can significantly impact your well-being, reduce depression, anxiety, and stress, and increase self-esteem. Tony Horton, celebrity fitness trainer and founder of Power Life, says he's experienced the benefits of walking on his mental health firsthand. "When I’m having a low-mood day, getting outside and walking for at least 15 minutes instantly enhances my energy levels and overall mood," he says. Horton recommends fitting a walk into your routine to boost your endorphins, reduce stress levels, and boost your mood.

If you're having a bad day, a short walk around the block can help improve your mood, according to Rebecca Stewart, certified personal trainer and pain-free Performance and Mobility Specialist. "Walking increases blood flow and oxygen in your brain, which releases serotonin and endorphins - the chemicals that make you happier," she says. Serotonin stabilizes your mood, and endorphins reduce stress and pain.

Even more significant benefits are harnessed by taking your walking routine outdoors. Walking in blue or green spaces provides unique benefits, reducing symptoms of depression. "You're also bound to get some vitamin D from the sun to fight against seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and major depressive symptoms," adds Stewart.

Spending time in nature, moving your body amongst calming scenery, or simply being more mindful of your natural surroundings while you walk has been shown to improve your psychological state much better than exercising indoors, according to research published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology. This research revealed that you can feel these effects by walking for as little as a quarter mile at your chosen pace, which many people can accomplish in less than 15 minutes.

Improve Heart Health

A brisk 15-minute walk improves your heart health. "Walking is a form of aerobic exercise—it increases your heart rate and oxygen consumption, and over time, this decreases your risk for cardiovascular disease by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol and increasing blood flow," explains Stewart.

Horton recommends walking every day and getting your heart rate up to improve blood pressure, cholesterol, and energy levels. "All of these elements are crucial for heart health, which is something we all need to be aware of. I always encourage my older clients to walk for at least 15-30 minutes per day to help keep their hearts healthy and stress levels down," he says.

Burn Calories and Aid Weight Management

Physical activity such as walking burns calories, which helps with weight management. If you've previously thought performing high-intensity or extreme exercise is the only way to lose or maintain a healthy weight, you might be relieved to learn this is not the case. Weight management is all about balance, including not overextending yourself too much and building up fatigue, strain, and symptoms of overtraining.

"It is a common misconception that you need to run to burn calories and achieve your weight goals; however, walking has just as many benefits for weight loss and is a great low-impact option and a great way to shed extra pounds, especially when walking at a brisk pace and up hills," explains Horton.

Gina Newton, certified personal trainer and holistic body coach, says she tries not to have her clients get too tied up in calorie burn or weight management because walking has so many other benefits. 

Enhance Creativity, Energy, and Productivity

Boosting blood flow to your brain, balancing blood sugar levels, and increasing feel-good hormones with a quick 15-minute walk can have a noticeable impact on your creativity and productivity during the day. "This, by far, is one of my favorite benefits of walking, especially when it is free of electronics and music," says Newton. "Giving our brains space to rest is one of the best benefits of an outside walk. When we simply give our brains the chance to ‘be,’ that is when our creativity can flow from our brains that may be otherwise consumed by our ’to do’ list," she adds. 

If you're feeling stressed, tired, or "stuck," you may benefit from walking to shake up your routine. "Exercise increases norepinephrine in the brain to make you feel more alert and focused and reduces cortisol, helping you feel more relaxed and less on edge," explains Stewart. Studies also show that walking improves cognitive function and connections between neural networks. Not only does this help you in the short term, but it can aid in preventing cognitive decline later in life.

Walking for 15 minutes, especially in nature, helps counteract the boredom and monotony of being stuck indoors. Research shows that outdoor activity boosts focus and attention, enhancing your productivity and creativity. Walking outside alleviates sluggishness and mental fatigue, so breaking up your work hours by taking a quick stroll in the fresh air and sunlight might be just the key to conquering the rest of your day's to-do list.

"Often, people don’t want to take the 15 minutes to take a walk because it ‘isn’t worth it’... but if you’re feeling stuck, your body is feeling tight and armored, go for a walk and watch the energy and creativity flow from you," suggests Newton.

Strengthen Muscles and Bones

Walking is a weight-bearing exercise, so going for a 15-minute walk can contribute to improving your bone density and health, which is increasingly important as you age. Combining walking with strength training is particularly effective. Strong, healthy bones and muscles reduce your risk for bone-density conditions like osteoporosis, which can lead to falls, fractures, and breaks.

According to Horton, adding a 15-30 minute walk to your daily routine will help maintain healthy bone density and muscle strength, especially as you age. Walking also increases coordination and balance, which are necessary to prevent accidents that can lead to injury. "Prioritizing bone and muscle health should be top of mind to sustain strength and prevent loss of density," he adds.

Try walking on an incline, using a treadmill, or walking up hills. Doing so will boost the muscle-building effects of walking even further, helping build strength and stability in your knees, hips, ankles, and lower body muscles.

Foster Social Connections

Fitting face-to-face contact into your day is essential, according to Horton, and going on a walk with friends is a great way to connect with your social circle while also getting steps in. "Those who prioritize social connection are proven to be overall happier and healthier, and walking is the perfect activity to foster these relationships," he says.

Taking a walk with a friend or group of people is a wonderful way to increase social connectivity during the day. "If you get together with a friend or co-worker and commit to walking, you not only reap all the benefits of walking, but you also decrease feelings of loneliness," says Stewart. Reducing human isolation has been shown to decrease risks of heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, depression, stress, and early death. 

"Any exercise with a buddy is also helpful for those internal chemicals to boost our mood," explains Newton.  Walking with a buddy also helps keep us accountable. "Ever feel like you’re better at keeping accountable to someone else and not yourself? Grab a buddy, and set a time to meet for a walk," suggests Newton. 

Walking with a partner and being in a community helps people feel connected. According to Newton, even if you go it alone, simply observing other people walking or biking and running helps foster a sense of community.  "We’re all out doing the same thing, breathing in the fresh air and moving our bodies," she says.

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Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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By Rachel MacPherson, BA, CPT
Rachel MacPherson is a health writer, certified personal trainer, and exercise nutrition coach based in Halifax.