45
4
11
↑45
↓4
—11
Evidence suggests Walking mayincreaseHealth benefits.
57 studies (60 claims)
Moderate consensus
Typical effective dose 56 (46.5–65.5) %across 2 dosed studies
Study Claims
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Type | Population | Dosage | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| standardized outpatient cardiac rehabilitation combined with treadmill power walking | Increases - were significantly higher | global and physical components of health-related quality of life | Human | patients who went post coronary angioplasty | Not specified (treadmill power walking as part of 12 treatment sessions). | Power walking based outpatient cardiac rehabilitation in patients with post-coronary angioplasty: Randomized control trial.cited 4× |
| standardized outpatient cardiac rehabilitation combined with treadmill power walking | Increases - Significant improvements were found | health-related quality of life, functional exercise capacity, left ventricular ejection fraction, metabolic equivalent of tasks | Human | patients who went post coronary angioplasty | Not specified (treadmill power walking as part of 12 treatment sessions). | Power walking based outpatient cardiac rehabilitation in patients with post-coronary angioplasty: Randomized control trial.cited 4× |
| walking bleach technique | Decreases - decrease in | Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaire scores | Human | patients with nonvital tooth discoloration | 35% hydrogen peroxide (n=25) and 37% carbamide peroxide (n=25), administered over four sessions. | Effectiveness and Impact of the Walking Bleach Technique on Esthetic Self-perception and Psychosocial Factors: A Randomized Double-blind Clinical Trial.cited 15× |
| standard of care (SOC) wheelchair use plus at-will use of a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared exoskeletal-assisted walking (EAW) device | No effect - was not statistically different | proportion who achieved clinically meaningful changes in the mental component summary score on the Veterans RAND 36-Item Health Survey (MCS/VR-36) | Human | veterans with spinal cord injury (SCI) | At-will use of an FDA-cleared exoskeletal-assisted walking device in the home and community. | Exoskeletal-Assisted Walking in Veterans With Paralysis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.cited 2× |
| standard of care (SOC) wheelchair use plus at-will use of a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared exoskeletal-assisted walking (EAW) device | No effect - was not statistically different | proportion who achieved clinically meaningful changes in the total T score of the Spinal Cord Injury-Quality of Life (SCI-QOL) physical and medical health domain | Human | veterans with spinal cord injury (SCI) | At-will use of an FDA-cleared exoskeletal-assisted walking device in the home and community. | Exoskeletal-Assisted Walking in Veterans With Paralysis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.cited 2× |
| psychoeducation sessions on diet and physical activity and regular participation in walking groups | Increases - improvement in one or more World Health Organization criteria over baseline was observed | World Health Organization recommendation on diet and exercise | Human | psychotic patients | Not specified (regular participation in walking groups). | Physical health promotion in patients with functional psychoses receiving community psychiatric services: Results of the PHYSICO-DSM-VR study.cited 7× |
| daily aerobic walking exercise | Increases - beneficial to | sleep health | Human | research volunteers | Daily aerobic walking exercise (specific duration/intensity not detailed) | Effects of a pedometer-based walking intervention on young adults' sleep quality, stress and life satisfaction: Randomized controlled trial.cited 9× |
| 14-week functional resistance and walking program (MPACT) | Increases - statistically significant | mental health | Human | MPACT participants | Not specified (14-week functional resistance and walking program). | Maintaining physical activity during head and neck cancer treatment: Results of a pilot controlled trial.cited 48× |
| long-distance walking | Increases - positively related to | mental health | Human | adults | Not specified | Are Long-Distance Walks Therapeutic? A Systematic Scoping Review of the Conceptualization of Long-Distance Walking and Its Relation to Mental Health.cited 8× |
| 7-week group-based outdoor walking exercise therapy intervention | Increases - substantial between-group changes were observed (beneficial changes in WALK vs no changes in CONTROL) | 0-100 visual analogue scale health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) | Human | ambulatory pwMS | One continuous and one intermittent supervised walking session per week at moderate-to-high intensity, personalized to each participant's starting level. | Outdoor walking exercise therapy improves walking capacity and well-being in persons with multiple sclerosis: A randomized controlled trial. |
| 7-week group-based outdoor walking exercise therapy intervention | Increases - substantial between-group changes were observed (beneficial changes in WALK vs no changes in CONTROL) | World Health Organization five well-being index (WHO5) | Human | ambulatory pwMS | One continuous and one intermittent supervised walking session per week at moderate-to-high intensity, personalized to each participant's starting level. | Outdoor walking exercise therapy improves walking capacity and well-being in persons with multiple sclerosis: A randomized controlled trial. |
| using a walking device | Decreases - independent predictor of decline in | self-rated health (SRH) | Human | older patients (≥ 70 years) | Not specified | Determinants of self-rated health in older adults before and 3 months after an emergency department visit: a prospective study.cited 4× |
| exoskeleton-assisted walking training using an AIDER powered robotic exoskeleton | Increases - an increasing tendency of scores | physical health domain of WHOQOL-BREF | Human | patients with motor complete SCI | 40-50 minutes, 5 times/week using an AIDER powered robotic exoskeleton. | Effects of a lower limb walking exoskeleton on quality of life and activities of daily living in patients with complete spinal cord injury: A randomized controlled trial.cited 5× |
| exoskeleton-assisted walking training using an AIDER powered robotic exoskeleton | Increases - an increasing tendency of scores | psychological health domain of WHOQOL-BREF | Human | patients with motor complete SCI | 40-50 minutes, 5 times/week using an AIDER powered robotic exoskeleton. | Effects of a lower limb walking exoskeleton on quality of life and activities of daily living in patients with complete spinal cord injury: A randomized controlled trial.cited 5× |
| improved 2-km walking test | Increases - associated to improved | global health | Human | breast cancer patients | Not specified | Effectiveness of a 12-month Exercise Intervention on Physical Activity and Quality of Life of Breast Cancer Survivors; Five-year Results of the BREX-study.cited 53× |
| a 6-month progressive and individualised walking and education program | Increases - investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness | health-related quality of life | Human | participants with low back pain | Progressive and individualized walking program (specific dosage not detailed). | Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a progressive, individualised walking and education program for prevention of low back pain recurrence in adults: statistical analysis plan for the WalkBack randomised controlled trial.cited 1× |
| walking and essential oils | Increases - were improved | general health | Human | — | Not specified | A Randomized Trial Comparing Standard Treatment and Stress-Relieving Therapies to Improve Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms. |
| walking and essential oils | Increases - can positively impact | health and well-being | Human | — | Not specified | A Randomized Trial Comparing Standard Treatment and Stress-Relieving Therapies to Improve Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms. |
| 12-month aerobic walking group | Increases - favoring | mental health status | Human | Low-active, older adults | Not specified | Differential exercise effects on quality of life and health-related quality of life in older adults: a randomized controlled trial.cited 35× |
| peer-led, school-based walking intervention | Increases - self-reported improvements | physical health | Human | pupils and walk leaders | Brisk walks (10-15 min) during the school day, led by older peer walk leaders. | A process evaluation of the walking in ScHools (WISH) study using the RE-AIM framework. |
| replacing sitting time by standing and walking | Increases - is an attractive alternative to moderate-to-vigorous exercise for improving | metabolic health | Human | overweight women | Sitting less regimen: standing 4 h/day and walking 3 h/day | Sitting less elicits metabolic responses similar to exercise and enhances insulin sensitivity in postmenopausal women.cited 18× |
| Walking | Increases - confers numerous health benefits | health | Human | middle-aged and older patients with diabetes and metabolic syndrome | Not specified | Value-Added Electrodiagnostics: Targeting Interventions for Fall Risk Reduction.cited 1× |
| walking | Increases - showed consistent positive health effects | health effects | Human | — | Activity time ranged between 10 and 240 minutes (specific frequency not detailed). | What Activities in Forests Are Beneficial for Human Health? A Systematic Review.cited 7× |
| individualized pedometer-based walking program with weekly step goals, behavioral face-to-face sessions with a physician, and regular telephone calls with a research nurse | No effect - will be evaluated | health-related quality of life | Human | physically inactive participants with chronic heart failure | Individualized pedometer-based walking program with weekly step goals (specific step count not provided). | Effect of a 6-month pedometer-based walking intervention on functional capacity in patients with chronic heart failure with reduced (HFrEF) and with preserved (HFpEF) ejection fraction: study protocol for two multicenter randomized controlled trials.cited 16× |
| Nordic walking (NW) training program plus education and usual care | Increases - is superior to | exercise tolerance and other health-related outcomes | Human | patients with asthma | Supervised Nordic walking sessions three times per week. | Effectiveness of nordic walking in patients with asthma: A study protocol of a randomized controlled trial.cited 2× |
| dog walking | Increases - has | health benefits | HumanAnimal | both the owner and the dog | Not specified | One Health Solutions to Obesity in People and Their Pets.cited 31× |
| supervised Nordic Walking (NW) | Increases - superior for improving | mental health | Human | 60+-year-old persons with hip osteoarthritis (OA) not awaiting hip replacement | Supervised Nordic Walking sessions in a local park (frequency not specified). | In hip osteoarthritis, Nordic Walking is superior to strength training and home-based exercise for improving function.cited 50× |
| conceptual framework of the walking experience | No effect - provides | a novel theoretical structure for patient-centred clinical practice, research and public health | Human | — | Not available | Listening to the patients' voice: a conceptual framework of the walking experience.cited 16× |
| ongoing feedback added to a 12-month unsupervised maintenance walking programme | No effect - was no more effective than no feedback in maintaining | health-related quality of life (HRQoL) | Human | patients with COPD | Not specified | Effect on health-related quality of life of ongoing feedback during a 12-month maintenance walking programme in patients with COPD: a randomized controlled trial.cited 14× |
| regular walking | Increases - improvements in | quality of health and life | Human | pre-dialysis patients with CKD Stages 4 and 5 | Target venous bicarbonate levels of 29 mmol/L (intervention) vs. 24 mmol/L (standard). | Benefits of regular walking exercise in advanced pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease.cited 66× |
| daily mobile phone instructional text messages to perform regular outdoor walking and functional leg exercises | Increases - reported very good/fairly good health | self-perceived health | Human | patients with good motor function after stroke | Daily mobile phone instructional text messages to perform regular outdoor walking and functional leg exercises. | Potential effects on cardiometabolic risk factors and body composition by short message service (SMS)-guided training after recent minor stroke or transient ischaemic attack: post hoc analyses of the STROKEWALK randomised controlled trial.cited 6× |
| self-directed, home-based walking intervention | Increases - potential benefits | mental health | Human | women during active treatment for metastatic breast cancer | 150 minutes per week at a comfortable and safe pace. | Physical Activity Intervention in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer During Active Treatment: Quality of Life and Function.cited 4× |
| self-directed, home-based walking intervention | Increases - higher number of steps correlated with larger improvements | PROMIS Mental Health | Human | patients with analyzable Fitbit data at 3 months | 150 minutes per week at a comfortable and safe pace. | Physical Activity Intervention in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer During Active Treatment: Quality of Life and Function.cited 4× |
| 8-week supervised and walking based HIIT | No effect - assessing the effects | macrovascular health | Human | hypertensive patients | Not specified (supervised walking-based HIIT). | Hypertension and retinal microvascular dysfunction (HyperVasc): protocol of a randomised controlled exercise trial in patients with hypertension.cited 4× |
| 8-week supervised and walking based HIIT | No effect - assessing the effects | microvascular health | Human | hypertensive patients | Not specified (supervised walking-based HIIT). | Hypertension and retinal microvascular dysfunction (HyperVasc): protocol of a randomised controlled exercise trial in patients with hypertension.cited 4× |
| prehabilitation program (PREOPtimize), consisting of Nordic Walking and resistance training exercises plus health education | Increases - improve | health-related quality of life | Human | patients with breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant therapy | 2 weekly sessions of 75 minutes of Nordic Walking plus muscle strengthening exercises and health education. | Prehabilitation in Patients With Breast Cancer Receiving Neoadjuvant Therapy to Minimize Musculoskeletal Postoperative Complications and Enhance Recovery (PREOPtimize): A Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.cited 4× |
| walking group intervention | Increases - potentially effective in improving | cardiovascular health | Human | men with recent diagnosis of prostate cancer | Weekly 1-hour walking group sessions and maintenance of 10,000 steps/day. | A Walking Intervention Among Men With Prostate Cancer: A Pilot Study.cited 18× |
| Walking Away from Type 2 Diabetes (a pragmatic 3-h group-based structured education programme incorporating pedometer use with annual follow-on refresher sessions) | No effect - No differences between groups were observed | markers of cardiometabolic health | Human | individuals with a high risk of Type 2 diabetes mellitus | A pragmatic 3-hour group-based structured education program with pedometer use and annual refresher sessions. | Walking Away from Type 2 diabetes: a cluster randomized controlled trial.cited 61× |
| online 12-week walking intervention | No effect - explore its impact | physical health indicators | Human | cancer survivors | Not specified | Effect of a 12-Week Online Walking Intervention on Health and Quality of Life in Cancer Survivors: A Quasi-Randomized Controlled Trial.cited 33× |
| a 12-week multimodal exercise-based program including supervised exercise twice weekly followed by a protein supplement, a home-based walking program, and nurse-led support and counseling | Increases - significant beneficial effects | global health status (quality of life) | Human | older adults (≥65 years) with advanced pancreatic, biliary tract, or non-small cell lung cancer who received systemic oncological treatment | Home-based walking program (adherence rate 75%, IQR 33-100). | Effects of a 12-Week Multimodal Exercise Intervention Among Older Patients with Advanced Cancer: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial.cited 48× |
| objective measures of physical function such as usual walking speed | No effect - extensively validated against | health outcomes | Human | — | Not specified | Ageing well: a review of sarcopenia and frailty.cited 81× |
| Internet-mediated, pedometer-based walking intervention (Taking Healthy Steps) | No effect - no significant between-group differences | health-related quality of life (HRQL) assessed by the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire Total Score (SGRQ-TS) | Human | Veterans with COPD | Participants were instructed to wear a pedometer daily and upload step counts weekly; no specific step-count goals were mentioned. | Long-Term Effects of an Internet-Mediated Pedometer-Based Walking Program for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Randomized Controlled Trial.cited 87× |
| walking school bus (WSB) program | Increases - improve | child health | Human | parents | Not specified | Parent Perceptions on a Walking School Bus Program Among Low-Income Families: A Qualitative Study.cited 2× |
| walking school bus (WSB) program | Increases - applauded | exercise/physical health benefits | Human | parents | Not specified | Parent Perceptions on a Walking School Bus Program Among Low-Income Families: A Qualitative Study.cited 2× |
| moderate-intensity walking | No effect - compared the effects of | health markers | Human | patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) | — | A comparison of the health benefits of reduced-exertion high-intensity interval training (REHIT) and moderate-intensity walking in type 2 diabetes patients.cited 63× |
| walking football | Increases - modest improvements | cardiovascular health | Human | — | Not Assessed | Benefits and risks of walking football for healthy ageing: a narrative review. |
| walking football | Increases - positive mental health impacts | mental health | Human | individuals with mental health conditions | Not Assessed | Benefits and risks of walking football for healthy ageing: a narrative review. |
| walking football | Increases - shows promise as a safe strategy to promote | physical and mental health | Human | diverse populations | Not Assessed | Benefits and risks of walking football for healthy ageing: a narrative review. |
| walking football | No effect - selective health benefits were not found | health benefits | Human | — | One-hour per week | Walking football as sustainable exercise for older adults - A pilot investigation.cited 39× |
| volunteer-assisted walking | No effect - failed to show superiority | other health outcomes | Human | people aged 65 years and older with restricted mobility due to physical limitations | 30-50 min walks up to three times a week. | A volunteer-supported walking programme to improve physical function in older people with restricted mobility (the POWER Study): a randomised controlled trial.cited 2× |
| telephone counselor delivered pedometer-mediated walking intervention that incorporates action planning and motivational interviewing | Decreases - reduces | health care service utilization | Human | African American patients with hip, back and knee pain | 6 telephone counseling sessions over 8-10 weeks, with pedometer use. | Taking ACTION to reduce pain: ACTION study rationale, design and protocol of a randomized trial of a proactive telephone-based coaching intervention for chronic musculoskeletal pain among African Americans.cited 17× |
| standard care + InterWalk app-based interval walking training (IWT) | Increases - Physical HRQoL increased by a mean of 4.3 (95% CI 1.8 to 6.9) 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) points more in the IWT group compared with the StC group | physical health-related quality of life (HRQoL) | Human | individuals with T2D | 3 times per week for 30-60 minutes of interval walking training. | The Effects of a Lifestyle Intervention Supported by the InterWalk Smartphone App on Increasing Physical Activity Among Persons With Type 2 Diabetes: Parallel-Group, Randomized Trial.cited 9× |
| standard care + InterWalk app-based interval walking training (IWT) | No effect - No between-group differences were observed among the remaining key secondary outcomes | self-rated mental health-related quality of life (HRQoL), physical fitness, weight | Human | individuals with T2D | 3 times per week for 30-60 minutes of interval walking training. | The Effects of a Lifestyle Intervention Supported by the InterWalk Smartphone App on Increasing Physical Activity Among Persons With Type 2 Diabetes: Parallel-Group, Randomized Trial.cited 9× |
| mindful walking | No effect - efficacy on | cognitive and other health-related outcomes | Human | ADRD at-risk AA older adults | 24 sessions of outdoor mindful walking over three months. | Implementation and evaluation of a community-based mindful walking randomized controlled trial to sustain cognitive health in older African Americans at risk for dementia. |
| mindful walking | No effect - efficacy of | sustaining cognitive health | Human | vulnerable older adults | 24 sessions of outdoor mindful walking over three months. | Implementation and evaluation of a community-based mindful walking randomized controlled trial to sustain cognitive health in older African Americans at risk for dementia. |
| idiopathic toe walking | Decreases - is associated with impaired | health-related quality of life | Human | children | Not applicable | Health-related Quality of Life in Idiopathic Toe Walkers: A Multicenter Prospective Cross-sectional Study.cited 2× |
| leg exercises through standing, cycling and walking with/without FES | No effect - may be used to preserve | lower limb muscle and bone health | Human | persons with physical disability due to SCI | ≥30 minutes/day, ≥3 times/week | Effectiveness of FES-supported leg exercise for promotion of paralysed lower limb muscle and bone health-a systematic review.cited 3× |
| walking group interventions | Increases - to have wide-ranging health benefits | health | Human | — | Not specified | Communal therapeutic mobility in group walking: A meta-ethnography.cited 7× |
| permissive weightbearing in a walking boot | Increases - showed differences in favor | mental component of the RAND 36-item health survey | Human | patients with stable transsyndesmotic, lateral isolated simple ankle fractures | Not specified (intervention involved permissive weightbearing in a walking boot). | Prospective randomized controlled trial: early weight bearing after conservative treatment of Weber B ankle fractures (pancake trial).cited 4× |
| permissive weightbearing in a walking boot | Increases - showed differences in favor | physical component of the RAND 36-item health survey | Human | patients with stable transsyndesmotic, lateral isolated simple ankle fractures | Not specified (intervention involved permissive weightbearing in a walking boot). | Prospective randomized controlled trial: early weight bearing after conservative treatment of Weber B ankle fractures (pancake trial).cited 4× |
| smartphone-based secondary prevention program emphasizing early physical activity with a graduated walking program | Increases - improve | cardiovascular health | Human | patients with ACS | Graduated walking program (specific frequency/distance not detailed). | SMARTphone-based, early cardiac REHABilitation in patients with acute coronary syndromes [SMART-REHAB Trial]: a randomized controlled trial protocol.cited 27× |
| walking meditation | No effect - showed no significant difference between groups for | Thai Geriatric Mental Health Assessment Tool-15 (TGMHA-15) | Human | older adults with history of fall | Not specified | Walking meditation versus balance training for improving balance abilities among older adults with history of fall: A randomized controlled trial.cited 2× |
| chronic treadmill walking exercise | Increases - guidelines for better using for improving | brain health | Human | clinicians and patients | Supervised treadmill walking exercise training three times per week. | Rationale and design of a single-blind, randomised controlled trial of exercise training for managing learning and memory impairment in persons with multiple sclerosis.cited 9× |
| environmental changes aimed at encouraging walking or cycling | Increases - may promote activity and improve health | activity and health | Human | — | Not applicable (environmental intervention). | Title: Can changing the physical environment promote walking and cycling? A systematic review of what works and how.cited 40× |
| Mindful walking (MW) intervention | Increases - see value of MW in improving | overall health | Human | participants with self-reported inadequate physical activity | Not specified | A qualitative study on participants' experiences with a community-based mindful walking intervention and mobile device activity measurement.cited 5× |
| walking-only intervention | Increases - improved | health-related quality of life | Human | community-dwelling older adults | Not specified | Effects of Walking-Only Intervention on Physical Function, Fall-Related Outcomes, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.cited 1× |
| mindful forest walking | Increases - has the potential to promote | health | Human | — | 90-minute walk (single session) | Randomized controlled trial on the efficacy of forest walking compared to urban walking in enhancing mucosal immunity. |
| walking routes | Increases - can have positive impacts | health outcomes | Human | — | Not specified | Examining the effectiveness of place-based interventions to improve public health and reduce health inequalities: an umbrella review.cited 53× |
| mindful walking in nature | No effect - did not bring additional mental health benefits | mental health benefits | Human | participants | Not specified | Effectiveness of a mindful nature walking intervention on sleep quality and mood in university students during Covid-19: A randomised control study.cited 4× |
| walking with huffing | No effect - compare the effects | health status | Human | adults hospitalised with an acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis | Not specified | Active cycle of breathing technique versus oscillating PEP therapy versus walking with huffing during an acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis: a randomised, controlled trial protocol.cited 2× |