Does Regular Walking Really Build Muscle?

Walking is a rhythmic, dynamic, and aerobic activity of the large skeletal muscles that has many health benefits, including fat loss, but does walking build muscle? While high-intensity walking does not build big, bulky muscles or cause significant changes in muscle mass or tone, it does build some muscles but does not contribute much to muscle growth.

Walking is a form of low-intensity cardiovascular workout and is classified as an endurance exercise. It helps to build slow-twitch muscle fibers that provide long-lasting energy for sustained activity. For example, muscles in the back of your lower legs and the muscles in your back are lined with slow-twitch fibers that help you stand and hold your posture for a long time.

Master trainer Brett Starkowitz, who is also the head of education at Ten Health and Fitness, says that “people may notice a slight increase in leg size post-walking as the legs ‘swell’ to take in nutrients and remove waste products, such as lactic acid”.

This could explain why you experience an increase in your calves after a 30-minute walk, but the increase in leg volume post-walking lasts for only an hour or so.

A 2018 study by Nagoya University showed that 31 individuals who participated in a 10-week exercise program involving walking training of two or three sets of 30-minutes per week had improved muscle quality. This proved that walking for sustained periods may result in strengthened leg muscles and toned calves, and may prevent the loss of leg muscles.

Muscles Involved in Walking

Walking involves working your lower body in which the primary muscles are the quadriceps, hamstrings, calf muscles, and the hip adductors, with the gluteal and the abdominal muscles playing a significant role in the forward motion. It helps to strengthen the muscles of the legs, the limb-girdle, and the lower trunk and improves the flexibility of the cardinal joints.

Starkowitz believes that “walking is one of the best all-round leg workouts” and mentioned that adding small hand weights while walking can help to expand it into a full-body workout.

Fat Loss

There are different aspects to consider when expecting to lose fat by walking, such as your diet, exercise duration, and exercise timing (morning or evening).

Longer and lower-intensity cardio workouts (such as walking) work 60 to 70 percent of your maximal heart rate, known as the ‘fat burning zone’, and burn a high percentage of fat. Working at 60 to 70 percent of your heart rate equates to the burning of seven to twelve calories a minute.

Engaging in low-intensity workouts leads to fat burning but the process is slow and it takes longer to burn the same amount of calories you would burn during higher-intensity workouts. Ultimately, high-intensity workouts are more efficient in burning the total amount of calories leading to a higher and quicker weight loss.

Another aspect is the exercise timing. According to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, exercising for weight loss in the morning is more fruitful than in the evening. Although the exact mechanisms are unknown, the time of the day may be important for body weight regulation.

How to Maximize Muscle Building While Walking

• Incorporate intervals in your walking regime by alternating between walking at a steady pace and doing a power walk, a jog, or a sprint to increase the potential to build muscles.
• Add intervals of bodyweight exercises to your walking routine, such as lunges, squats, push-ups, or planks.
• You can also add weights to your walk to increase your muscle-building potential. These include hand weights, Nordic poles, weighted vests, or ankle weights.

These methods provide the added benefits of improving cardiovascular endurance, strengthening various muscles, and improving body balance and stability.

Vary Inclines to Boost Your Walking Workout

Hills or treadmill inclines can increase the intensity of your workout and challenge your muscles to work harder to maintain balance and stability. It eventually leads to burning more calories at the same speed. Starkowitz advises alternating between working at different inclines and speeds to vary the intensity and muscle recruitment of the workout.

Also, when working on a treadmill, let go of the hand support to increase the engagement of the core muscles.