WHITE PAPER
Whole-Person Health Begins with a WALK
WHITE PAPER
Whole-Person Health Begins with a WALK
Walking for health and well-being is a life-changing habit. When taking a walk becomes a daily routine, substantial benefits – that go well beyond fitness – arise. A walking routine promotes thriving in all domains of well-being and enhanced quality of life.
With over 3 decades of crafting, refining, and reinventing walking challenges, we’ve learned a lot about the impact of walking on whole-person health and happiness. Our participants continue to share compelling insights about how good walking makes them feel and many ways walking enhances their lives. And scientific evidence continues to reveal the remarkable impact of walking on well-being.
Physical activity, like walking, is also associated with improvements in other lifestyle behaviors1, leading to better sleep, nutrition, and social connection, and less stress and substance use.
Unlike other types of activity, walking can be done nearly anywhere. Besides being easy and fun, it’s an affordable, convenient, and sustainable way to move toward an active, healthy lifestyle.
In this paper, you’ll learn:
- 10 ways walking removes barriers to exercise
- How walking elevates whole-person well-being
- 10 ways to help employees get started, and stick with, a walking habit.
WALKING
The Path of Least Resistance
WALKING
The Path of Least Resistance
Exercise doesn’t come easy for everyone. From an evolutionary standpoint, humans are wired to conserve energy whenever possible — a survival advantage in environments where calories were scarce — which can make the instinct to avoid unnecessary physical exertion, like exercise, feel both natural and hard to override. And knowing that exercise is beneficial isn’t enough to fuel lasting motivation.
The truth is that getting started and sticking with an exercise habit can be a heavy lift. It’s a complex behavior that requires ongoing personal effort in the face of daily conflicts, distractions, and competing priorities.
Here’s a sampling of common personal barriers to exercise:
- I don’t know what to do/where to start
- I’m too self-conscious/embarrassed
- I don’t have the time or energy
- I don’t want to exercise alone
- I’ve tried but have never been able to stick with it
- I don’t want to get sweaty at work.
The simplest way to help people move more is to promote walking, an activity that many don’t think of as exercise. Walking is a realistic way for most people to increase physical activity and overall well-being, feel noticeably better, and stick with it, on their own terms.
Unlike many types of sports and fitness activities, walking is a familiar and simple way to move. Common activities such as using public transportation, moving around the workplace, and grocery shopping all involve walking. Starting a walking routine doesn’t involve much of a learning curve; we already know how to walk.
10
Ways Walking Removes Barriers to Getting and Staying Active
Walking removes many obstacles to being active, making a walking challenge an ideal way to support employees in beginning or renewing a physical activity habit. Walking supports all areas of well-being; helping employees develop a walking habit can start a snowball effect resulting in better health and performance throughout your organization.
Walking is:
1
Accessible.
Almost anyone can walk; it’s easy, fun, and free. Walking for exercise builds on an everyday activity that most people already do.
2
Adaptable and inclusive.
Effort level, time, and distance can be personalized, as well as type of walk — with others or solo, planned or spontaneous, outdoors or indoors, on land or in a pool, with/without assistive devices.
3
Contemplative.
Mindful walking is an active way to meditate. Stepping out for a walk can be restorative for the soul as well as mind and body.
4
Convenient.
Getting away from work for a short walk is a simple way to add more physical activity.
5
Family-friendly.
People of all ages can walk together, from walking to school to exploring parks and trails.
6
Flexible.
Even short walks are beneficial. Walking in small increments, such as 10 or 15 minutes at a time, accommodates busy or variable schedules.
7
Free.
Public spaces like neighborhoods, parks, trails, and waterfronts are no-cost walking options. In some areas, shopping malls, public school grounds, and sports venues are open regularly for walkers.
8
No-fuss.
Comfortable shoes/clothing and a safe place to walk are the only things needed. No special skills or equipment required.
9
Social.
Walking together is a fun way to stay connected and strengthen relationships.
10
Stress-soothing.
A walk offers a change of scenery, a shift in perspective, and a chance to think, reflect, and unwind.
“Easy to use, very inspiring to see how everyday movement can get you fit. You don’t need an extreme exercise program.”
Susan M.
USPTO, 10K-A-Day participant
“Easy to use, very inspiring to see how everyday movement can get you fit. You don’t need an extreme exercise program.”
Susan M.
USPTO, 10K-A-Day participant
Walking Around the World
For adults, walking is the most popular form of physical activity in most countries. It’s number 1 in the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and Western Pacific. In Europe, walking is second only to soccer; in Africa, it comes in behind running.
Public health data highlights an important fact: many adults still don’t get any – or enough – exercise. Establishing walking as the cornerstone of your well-being initiatives can help people move from inactive to active … and the sporadically active to a solid habit.
By the numbers:
US adults getting no physical activity in their free time.3
Worldwide adults not getting the 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week recommended by the World Health Organization.4
Walking Elevates Whole-Person HEALTH
Walking Elevates
Whole-Person HEALTH
Regular exercise, including walking, is linked to improvements in other areas of well-being — such as nutrition, sleep, social connection, stress, and more. When someone establishes a walking habit, they’re more likely to sleep better, eat more-nutritious foods, and feel less stressed, for example.
Walking can serve as a realistic path to thriving in many areas of life, especially for those feeling defeated or stuck after unsuccessful attempts at habit change. Heading out for a walk most days is an easy win that brings an abundance of well-being rewards.
Which Healthy Habits Make the Most Difference?
Living the kind of life that good health makes possible is a universal desire. We can’t control every factor, but living a healthful lifestyle substantially tips the odds in favor of well-being. It’s not just about living longer, having a better health-related quality of life is something many people yearn for.
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine identifies 6 interconnected behavioral pillars vital to preventing and managing clinical conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. These pillars also play a significant role in improving mental/emotional well-being and reducing risk for disorders like depression and anxiety.
(Adapted from American College of Lifestyle Medicine)
How Walking Supports Each Lifestyle Medicine Pillar
Walking — as a popular, budget-friendly, low-barrier way to be active — plays a vital role in bringing better health and quality of life within reach:
Physical Activity
Move every day and incorporate strength, flexibility, balance, and aerobic activities (like daily walking) into your routine.
- Walking is linked to greater exercise self-efficacy, with greatest gains seen in those walking outdoors.8 When people believe in their ability to be active, they’re more active.
- Walking is also linked to improved self-regulation9,10 and increased general self-efficacy,11 essential factors in sustainable habit change. Getting better at managing and directing one’s own emotions and behavior plus having the confidence to keep moving forward supports behavior change in other areas of well-being.
- Walkers are 3 times more likely to meet physical activity guidelines than those who don’t walk for exercise.12,13
Walkers are 3 times more likely to meet physical activity guidelines than those who don’t walk for exercise.
Optimal Nutrition
Eat more whole foods and focus on minimally processed, plant-predominant, nutrient-dense meals and snacks.
- Physically active adults generally report better nutrition habits.14
- Regular exercise, such as walking, enhances brain structure and function. Resulting changes can improve decision-making around eating habits and food choices.15
- Enhanced exercise self-regulation is linked to improved self-regulation in eating behaviors.16
Connectedness
Foster supportive relationships and build connections that bring meaning and purpose to life.
- Walking offers easy ways to connect — like catching up with a coworker, saying hi to a neighbor, or smiling/nodding at someone passing by. Neighborhood walking, for example, increases brief social connections that help build friendships.17 Even incidental social encounters are important for mental well-being, and walking helps people have more of them.
- Group walking fosters a sense of belonging, acceptance, and companionship18 that promotes enjoyment and contributes to social, mental, and emotional well-being.
- Walking with coworkers strengthens connections, contributing to a stronger sense of belonging, camaraderie, and teamwork.
- Physical activity, including walking, reduces stress and for many, improves mood, easing the way for more enjoyable conversations and time together.
Create the right conditions to get 7-9 hours of quality
sleep every night to allow the body to reset and recover.
- Regular walking, even at a light intensity, improves subjective sleep quality for healthy adults, as well as those with chronic conditions or mild sleep impairment.19
- Physical activities such as walking help reduce insomnia.20
- Walking and other types of physical activity improve sleep efficiency — the percentage of actual asleep time in bed.
- 30+ minutes of moderate-intensity walking on most days appears to be most effective, with improvements seen in 4-12 weeks.21,22
Stress Management
- Going for a walk together combines the benefits of more social time plus exercise, both vital for effectively managing stress and fostering resilience.
- Walking more (greater than 5000 steps/day compared to less than 5000 steps/day) is associated with reduced symptoms of depression. Further, those walking 7000 or more steps/day appear to have a lower risk of developing depression.23
- Green exercise (done in the presence of nature) improves mood and self-esteem in as little as 5 minutes.24
- Walking in nature is more restorative than walking in an urban setting.25 In addition, it’s linked to reductions in anxiety as well as anger and hostility. Improved energy, emotions, and positive engagement are also seen.26
- Urban walking can be beneficial and enjoyable, too. Getting out for an active break is a simple way to bring stress down and recharge no matter the setting.
Risky substance avoidance
Avoid behaviors that include the consumption of or exposure to harmful substances.
- For example, physical activity is linked to reduced risk for developing substance use disorders. A sedentary lifestyle is associated with a 1.5-2 fold greater risk of developing alcohol use disorder.27
- Long-term exercise interventions significantly increase abstinence rates, reduce withdrawal symptoms, and decrease anxiety and depression.28
- Exercise decreases substance use and supports recovery plus relapse prevention. Combinations of moderate aerobic exercise (like brisk walking), strength training, and mind body exercise (such as yoga, tai chi) are effective in reducing cravings, improving abstinence rates, and enhancing mental health as well as quality of life, and supporting recovery in those with substance-use disorders.29,30
Scientific evidence points to significant 2-way influences of mental/physical health within these pillars.31 Consistently getting a good night’s sleep, for example, helps reduce stress. And managing stress effectively can help people sleep better. Mental/physical health are interdependent — a compelling reason why ongoing support for walking plus other healthy lifestyle behaviors is foundational to any workplace wellness effort.
“It’s getting easier and easier to get in the 10,000 steps! The more I walk, the more I want to walk.”
Julie K.
University of Minnesota, 10K-A-Day participant
10
Ways to Help Employees Start and Stick With a Walking Habit
Take steps to build a culture of walking throughout your organization. Embed friendly messaging throughout your internal marketing channels: “Walk at a pace you enjoy,” for example, welcomes hopeful beginners to power walkers.
Ideas:
- Offer an annual walking-focused wellness challenge wrapped in a fun theme – like Walktober, Star Trak, 10K-A-Day, or Bloom.
- Recruit volunteer walking ambassadors. Ask them to organize regular groups open to all, personally invite people to join, and generate future ideas for walking promotions.
- Make gathering a walking group easier by offering convenient times and locations
- Encourage hybrid/remote workers to walk daily with family, friends, and neighbors
- Promote recurring walking events such as weekly Walking Wednesdays or a monthly/quarterly companywide Let’s Walk day.
- Publicize indoor and outdoor places to walk — public parks and trails, school grounds, city sidewalks, shopping centers, and sports arenas
- Ask participants to share testimonials about what they get out of walking — tangible and intangible benefits
- Organize a team for a 5K/10K event and sponsor registration
- Launch a buddy challenge. Encourage 10 or more partner walks a month by awarding random prizes.
- Highlight furry walking companions by designating a Dog Day for everyone to post selfies with their dogs during or after a walk.
“This has been the highlight of my year. No joke. The Community! The recipes! The visuals! The wellness information. The Leaves! The Badges! Thrive Thursdays! Absolutely no stone was left unturned regarding the breadth and depth of this program. I feel so charged and motivated not to let it end here, but to have a form of Walktober every month going forward. I’m a believer!”
Yolanda B.
Mutual of Omaha, Walktober participant
Walking Works WONDERS
The ease, convenience, and familiarity of walking make it a practical and widely appealing activity. As a low-threshold, high-reward way for people to move more, it’s an ideal way for organizations of all sizes to inspire a happier, healthier, more active, and better connected workforce.
“I feel better than ever! I have walked far more and have gone to the gym consistently. I am glad I took part in this year’s Walktober and hope for many more!”
Alfredo C.
University of Rochester, Walktober participant
Walking Works WONDERS
The ease, convenience, and familiarity of walking make it a practical and widely appealing activity. As a low-threshold, high-reward way for people to move more, it’s an ideal way for organizations of all sizes to inspire a happier, healthier, more active, and better connected workforce.
“I feel better than ever! I have walked far more and have gone to the gym consistently. I am glad I took part in this year’s Walktober and hope for many more!”
Alfredo C.
University of Rochester, Walktober participant
1Hajat, C., Kotzen, D., Stein, E., & Yach, D. (2019). Physical activity is associated with improvements in other lifestyle behaviours. BMJ open sport & exercise medicine, 5(1), e000500. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000500.
2Hulteen, R., Smith, J., Morgan, P., Barnett, L., Hallal, P., Colyvas, K., Lubans, D. (2017). Global participation in sport and leisure-time physical activities: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Preventive Medicine, 95, 14–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.11.027.
3Healthy People 2030. Physical Activity: Overview and Objectives, accessed January 26, 2026. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
4World Health Organization. Physical Activity. WHO Newsroom, accessed January 26, 2026.
5Abernethy, D., Bennie, J., Pavey, T. (2025). Temporal trends in aerobic physical activity guideline adherence among nationally representative samples of U.S. adults between 2011 and 2019. PLOS ONE, 20. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0316051.
6Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Walking for Leisure and Transportation Among Adults: United States, 2022.
7Hajat, C., Kotzen, D., Stein, E., Yach, D. (2019). Physical activity is associated with improvements in other lifestyle behaviours. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 5(1), e000500. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000500.
8Duranso, C. W. (2019). Walk for well-being: The main effects of walking on approach motivation. Motivation and Emotion, 43, 93–102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-018-9726-y.
9Fanning, J., Porter, G., Awick, E., Ehlers, D., Roberts, S., Cooke, G., Burzynska, A., Voss, M., Kramer, A., McAuley, E. (2017). Replacing sedentary time with sleep, light, or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity: Effects on self-regulation and executive functioning. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 40, 332–342. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-016-9788-9.
10Oaten, M., Cheng, K. (2006). Longitudinal gains in self-regulation from regular physical exercise. British Journal of Health Psychology, 11(4), 717–733. https://doi.org/10.1348/135910706X96481.
11Duranso, C. (2018). Walk for well-being: The main effects of walking on approach motivation. Motivation and Emotion, 43, 93–102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-018-9726-y.
12Vital signs: Walking among adults—U.S., 2005 and 2010. (2012). MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 61(31), 595–601. Cited in Segar ML, Richardson CR, Prescribing Pleasure and Meaning: Cultivating Walking Motivation and Maintenance, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Volume 47, Issue 6, 2014,Pages 838-841,ISSN 0749-3797, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2014.07.001.
13Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. (2008). Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC., cited in Segar ML, Richardson CR, Prescribing Pleasure and Meaning: Cultivating Walking Motivation and Maintenance, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Volume 47, Issue 6, 2014,Pages 838-841,ISSN 0749-3797, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2014.07.001.
14Loprinzi, P. D., et al. (2014). Physical activity and dietary behavior in U.S. adults and their combined influence on health. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 89(2), 190–198.
15Joseph, R. J., Alonso-Alonso, M., Bond, D. S., Pascual-Leone, A., Blackburn, G. L. (2011). The neurocognitive connection between physical activity and eating behaviour. Obesity Reviews, 12(10), 800–812. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-789X.2011.00893.x.
16Annesi, J. J., Powell, S. M. (2024). Carry-over of exercise-related
self-regulation to eating-related self-regulation in women participating in behavioral obesity treatments. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 95(3), 78-4. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2024.2311652.
17Glover, T., Todd, J., Moyer, L. (2022). Neighborhood walking and social connectedness. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2022.825224.
18Pollard, T., Guell, C., Morris, S. (2020). Communal therapeutic mobility in group walking: A meta-ethnography. Social Science & Medicine, 262, 113241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113241.
19Hori, H., Ikenouchi-Sugita, A., Yoshimura, R., Nakamura, J. (2016). Does subjective sleep quality improve by a walking intervention? BMJ Open, 6. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011055.
20Xie, Y., Liu, S., Chen, X., Yu, H., Yang, Y., Wang, W. (2021). Effects of exercise on sleep quality and insomnia in adults. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.664499.
21Eun, H., Baek, S. (2023). Effect of exercise on sleep in middle-aged and older adults. Exercise Science. https://doi.org/10.15857/ksep.2023.32.1.21.
22Alnawwar, M., Alraddadi, M., Algethmi, R., Salem, G., Salem, M., Alharbi, A. (2023). The effect of physical activity on sleep quality and sleep disorder. Cureus, 15. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.43595.
23Bizzozero-Peroni, B., Díaz-Goñi, V., Jiménez-López, E., et al. (2024). Daily step count and depression in adults. JAMA Network Open, 7(12), e2451208. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.51208.
24Barton, J., Pretty, J. (2010). What is the best dose of nature and green exercise for improving mental health? Environmental Science & Technology, 44(10), 3947–3955. https://doi.org/10.1021/es903183r.
25Gidlow, C., Jones, M., Hurst, G., et al. (2016). Where to put your best foot forward: Psycho-physiological responses to walking in natural and urban environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 45, 22–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2015.11.003.
26Wicks, C., Barton, J., Orbell, S., Andrews, L. (2022). Psychological benefits of outdoor physical activity in natural versus urban environments. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 14(3), 1037–1061. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12353.
27Ejsing, L., Becker, U., Tolstrup, J., Flensborg-Madsen, T. (2015). Physical activity and risk of alcohol use disorders. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 50(2), 206–212.
28Wang, D., Wang, Y., Wang, Y., Li, R., Zhou, C. (2014). Impact of physical exercise on substance use disorders: A meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 9. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0110728.
29Giménez-Meseguer, J., Tortosa-Martínez, J., Cortell-Tormo, J. M. (2020). The benefits of physical exercise on mental disorders and quality of life in substance use disorder patients. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(10), 3680. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103680.
30Wang, D., Wang, Y., Wang, Y., Li, R., Zhou, C. (2014). Impact of physical exercise on substance use disorders: A meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 9. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0110728.
31Abascal, L., Vela, A., Sugden, S., et al. (2022). Incorporating mental health into lifestyle medicine. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 16(5), 570–576.
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