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'Micro-Walks' Could Burn More Calories Than Longer Ones. Here's How Long You Should Be Walking For

A new study just discovered the benefits of shorter strolls.

For years, doctors have stressed the importance of being active during your day—after all, research has found that sitting for too long raises your risk of a slew of serious health conditions, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. But the idea of going for hour-long walks can be overwhelming. Now, new research suggests you don’t need to jam in a massive stroll into each day: Instead, you can go for “micro-walks.”

That’s the main takeaway from a study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, which found that micro-walks may be even better for you than long ones. Here’s the deal. 

What are ‘micro-walks’?

In this study, a “micro-walk” is defined as walking between 10 and 30 seconds at a time (with breaks in between your next walk). 

Are ‘micro-walks’ more beneficial for your health? Why?

It depends on how you’re looking at it. In this particular study, volunteers walked on a treadmill or climbed a short flight of stairs for different periods of time, ranging from 10 seconds to four minutes. The study participants wore masks to measure their oxygen intake (which can be used to calculate energy or calorie consumption). 

The researchers discovered that people who walked in short bursts used up to 60 per cent more energy than longer ones, despite the walks covering the same distance. (The more energy you expend, the more calories you can burn.)

Basically, you may be able to rev up your metabolism and burn more calories if you do short bursts of walking versus longer cruises around. 

Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, a co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab, says there’s something to this. “Getting activity throughout the day, in general, is better for people,” he says. “It’s better for circulation, mental health, and digestive health.” 

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