Neither walking nor yoga: the exercise you can do to improve your fitness, according to an expert

Walking is one of the most popular ways to stay active and maintain your health , but several specialists warn that it may not be enough to significantly improve your physical fitness . Although its benefits are supported by science, there are other, more effective routines that can help you make progress faster.

In countries like Spain, walking is a daily routine : to go to work, walk the dog, or simply to clear your mind. This habit helps us stay active, improves circulation, and reduces the risk of disease. However, experts agree that it's necessary to go further if you want to increase strength, aerobic capacity, or reduce body weight.

The exercise proposed by the expert

Health educator Marcos Vázquez , creator of the Fitness Revolucionario project, tells Applesfera that "walking is very important, but it's not enough. You need to add vigorous physical activity, ideally two types: strength training and aerobic exercise. And if you also do some HIIT sessions, even better." These practices, according to studies like the one published in Circulation Research , reduce the risk of mortality more effectively and in less time.

While a walk can take more than an hour to produce certain effects, 45 or 50 minutes of intense training is enough to achieve superior results. Vázquez suggests alternating walks with strength training sessions twice a week and heart-rate-boosting activities like HIIT , even at home and without the need for a large investment in equipment.

Walking, therefore, doesn't lose its value as a healthy habit. But if the goal is to improve overall fitness , combining it with more challenging exercises becomes key. "We can continue walking regularly, but we should try to include at least a couple of days of strength training and some aerobic activity that gets the heart working at its best," the expert concludes.