Walktober: Why a Little More Walking Goes a Long Way

Ever left the house feeling stressed, then returned from a walk with a clearer head? Or noticed how a short walk can give you a second wind when the afternoon slump hits?

There’s real science behind that feel-good effect. Walking sets off a range of physiological responses that can benefit your body and mind, both immediately and over time. And the best part about it? You don’t need a complicated routine or gym membership to reap the benefits.

With Walktober shining a spotlight on the benefits of walking this October, it’s the perfect opportunity to sneak a few more steps into your day – and here’s why those steps are worth taking.

Small steps for a healthier heart

Just like any other muscle in your body, your heart benefits from regular exercise. When you walk, your heart beats a little faster to pump more oxygen-rich blood to your working muscles. Over time, regular walking helps your heart work more efficiently, improving your cardiovascular fitness and making everyday activities like climbing stairs or walking uphill feel easier.

Regular walking can also help lower blood pressure, reducing the strain on your heart and blood vessels. This is particularly important because consistently high blood pressure increases your risk of serious health conditions, including heart attack and stroke.

And you don’t need to walk for hours to see a difference. A Cochrane review of 73 trials found that walking programmes reduced systolic blood pressure (the top number in a reading) by an average of around 4 mmHg, with most programmes involving around 150 minutes of moderate-intensity walking per week.

While that might sound like a small change, research involving around one million adults estimated that just 2 points lower across a middle-aged population could mean 10% fewer deaths from stroke and 7% fewer deaths from heart disease and other blood vessel conditions. Even modest reductions in blood pressure can make a meaningful difference to your long-term heart health.

Give your blood sugar a helping hand

When you eat, your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose (blood sugar), which enters your bloodstream to provide energy for your cells. It’s normal for blood sugar to rise after a meal, but consistently high levels over time can damage blood vessels and nerves, affecting your heart, eyes and kidneys.

That’s where walking comes in. Think of your muscles as sponges for glucose: when you walk, they need more energy, so they absorb more glucose from your bloodstream, helping to regulate your blood sugar levels.

Even a short stroll after eating can make a difference. A review of eight small trials found that post-meal exercise, including walking, helped reduce blood sugar spikes compared with remaining inactive. Similarly, short walking breaks during prolonged sitting can improve blood sugar responses.

And the benefits don’t stop when your walk ends. Regular physical activity also helps your muscles become more responsive to insulin, the hormone that helps glucose enter your cells. Over time, this supports better blood sugar management and can help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Give your brain some breathing room

Walking also benefits your brain, supporting everything from your mood and stress levels to your memory and mental wellbeing.

For starters, a walk offers a break from screens, chores and the running to-do list. Sometimes, that change of scenery is exactly what you need. Physical activity boosts endorphins, your brain’s natural feel-good chemicals, which help ease pain and promote wellbeing. It can also increase BDNF, a protein that supports healthy brain cells and connections involved in learning and memory.

These benefits can make a meaningful difference over time. A review involving more than 191,000 adults found that activity equivalent to 75 minutes of brisk walking a week was associated with an 18% lower risk of depression than no activity. At 150 minutes, the association was a 25% lower risk.

Plus, there’s something satisfying about doing something for yourself. Following through on a small walking goal can build confidence, while a chat with a mate, or a friendly hello along the way, can help you feel more connected.

How much walking is enough?

While 10,000 steps a day is a popular target, you don’t need to reach it to experience meaningful health benefits.

A 2025 review found that walking around 7,000 steps per day, compared with 2,000, was associated with:

25% lower risk of cardiovascular disease
14% lower risk of type 2 diabetes
38% lower risk of dementia
22% lower risk of depressive symptoms

While these findings don’t prove that walking alone causes these reductions, they highlight the strong relationship between daily movement and long-term health. And if tracking every step isn’t your jam, it may be more helpful to instead focus on how much time you spend moving in general. Australia’s 24-hour movement guidelines recommend that adults aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity on most days, alongside regular light activity and breaks from prolonged sitting.

Make your next walk easy

Building a walking habit doesn’t have to mean making major changes to your routine. Start by choosing one or two of these simple ideas to try this week:

Make a plan. Set aside ten minutes for a walk after lunch on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Having a specific time in mind makes it easier to follow through.
Break it up. You don’t need to do all your walking at once. Try a short stroll before work, a lap around the block on your lunch break or a walk after dinner.
Make it enjoyable. Invite a friend, listen to your favourite podcast or explore a new route. You’re more likely to stick with something you look forward to.
Plan for obstacles. Bad weather or a busy schedule doesn’t have to derail your plans. Try an indoor walk, take the stairs or fit in a few extra minutes of movement where you can.
Notice how you feel. Rather than focusing only on steps or distance, pay attention to your mood, energy levels and how you feel after a walk. These small improvements can be powerful motivators.

This Walktober, start with one small change. Whether it’s a ten-minute lunchtime stroll or an extra lap around the block, those steps could be the beginning of a healthier habit that lasts well beyond October.

Sources

Oja et al. (2018). Effects of frequency, intensity, duration and volume of walking interventions on CVD risk factors.

Heart Foundation. Blood pressure and heart health.

Lee et al. (2021). Walking for hypertension.

Lewington et al. (2002). Age-specific relevance of usual blood pressure to vascular mortality.

NIDDK. Diabetes.

Engeroff et al. (2023). After Dinner Rest a While, After Supper Walk a Mile?.

Buffey et al. (2022). The acute effects of interrupting prolonged sitting with standing and light-intensity walking.

Bird and Hawley (2017). Update on the effects of physical activity on insulin sensitivity in humans.

Röckl et al. (2008). Signaling mechanisms in skeletal muscle: acute responses and chronic adaptations to exercise.

Mayo Clinic. Exercise and stress: Get moving to manage stress.

Szuhany et al. (2015). A meta-analytic review of the effects of exercise on brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

Pearce et al. (2022). Association between physical activity and risk of depression.

Ding et al. (2025). Daily steps and health outcomes in adults.

Australian Government (2026). Australian 24-hour movement guidelines for adults and older adults.

Gut health – why does it matter?

The gut microbiome refers to the trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi that live in your gut. These bacteria can affect your risk of cardiovascular disease, mental wellbeing, body weight, immune regulation and digestion.
An unhealthy gut may contribute to sleep disturbances such as insomnia or poor sleep which over time can lead to chronic fatigue.
A troubled intestine can send distress signals to the brain, causing symptoms of anxiety, stress or depression.

70% of the body’s immune system can be found in the digestive track.

Having a wide variety of good bacteria in your gut can enhance the function of your immune system, improve symptoms of depression and help combat obesity.

A healthy gut has a protective barrier that keeps its contents (like microbiota or gut flora, undigested food particles and toxins) safely contained and prevents them from leaking into the bloodstream.

A healthy gut has several other important jobs, including helping to fight off infection, as well as performing all of its usual digestive and regulatory functions, like absorbing and synthesising nutrients that are essential for keeping your body running at its best.

Tips for a happy gut.

Allow your food to digest properly: After eating, being in a relaxed state helps your body produce the gastric juices needed to properly break down and absorb food. Gastric juice is essential for the absorption of vitamins, minerals and the nutrients necessary to support both physical and mental health.
Increase your fibre intake: Fibre helps to maintain the balance of beneficial gut bacteria. Fruit and vegetables (with the skin left on), oats, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds are all high in fibre.
Eat probiotic fermented foods: Probiotic foods contain live bacteria that may help increase the diversity of your gut bacteria. Examples include natural yoghurt, kimchi, miso, kombucha and sauerkraut.

Heart Health – the importance of sleep.

Sleep matters when it comes to the heart of your heart.
Did you know? Less than 6 hours sleep will increase your risk of heart disease.

Let’s look at some other key statistics and facts:

Studies have found that short sleepers have a 48% increased risk of developing or dying from heart disease.
Short sleepers also have a 15% greater risk of developing or dying from stroke.
Lack of sleep is linked to a host of heart health risks including obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.

While lack of sleep doesn’t necessarily cause heart disease, it does substantially increase your risk factors.

Too little sleep causes disruptions to underlying health conditions and biological processes such as glucose metabolism, blood pressure and inflammation. If you are getting less than 6 hours sleep, you likely have higher levels of stress hormones and substances in your blood which indicate inflammation – a key player in heart disease.

The link to obesity: Obesity has a strong link to poor sleep due to ‘short sleepers’ being more likely to snack and eat more food in general. Insufficient sleep impairs various brain reward systems, including those that oversee energy intake, judgement and food choices. In addition to this, studies suggest that sleep-deprived people are more likely to eat fewer vegetables and instead choose sweet, fatty foods.

A word on sleep apnoea: Obstructive sleep apnoea is characterised by a repetitive pattern in which a person briefly stops breathing. This is due to the tongue or throat tissues blocking the airway, sometimes up to hundreds of times a night. Sleep apnoea is strongly associated with obesity and is known to increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.

Following basic sleep hygiene ‘rules’ can help ensure you’re getting enough sleep, but chances are, your workforce needs more than just be told to get more sleep.

We can help. We know that making behaviour changes to improve health is a continual process that requires structured, monthly engagement, and with this formula we can achieve:

Voluntary monthly engagement from 80% of your total workforce; and
60% of your total workforce attaining measured behaviour change

Get in touch today to make a difference at your workplace.

Employee health. Are they getting sick at home or at work?

With many people working longer hours and in some cases more than one job, the development of chronic diseases, musculoskeletal disorders and psychological illness may have its origins in the workplace.

Research has found that workers who are regularly exposed to hazardous working conditions, physically demanding tasks, high levels of stress and long working hours are more likely to consume risky levels of alcohol, reduce their level of physical activity to low, increase their likelihood of smoking and make poor nutritional choices. These habits can put strain on their overall health leading to an increased risk in chronic diseases and injuries on the job.

While these lifestyle choices may also be caused by outside factors (such as family or financial strain), the bottom line is that it impacts the employee, co-workers, workplace safety, workplace culture and business outcomes.

Could the health of your workforce be impacting your bottom line?

Healthier workers are almost three times more productive than their unhealthy counterparts.
On average, work related psychological injuries have longer recovery times, higher costs, and require more time away from work (almost four times higher than other injuries).
Any employees who are carrying excess weight and engaging in low levels of physical activity are more likely to be less productive and take more sick leave.

As you can see from the facts above, the health and wellbeing of your workforce can have a significant and very direct impact on productivity. While you can’t stop people getting sick, you can help them address health concerns when needed and implement healthy actions at work.

Using the workplace as a setting for health promotion and education is a great way to help your employees lower their risk profiles for overall physical health as well as mental wellbeing. These types of initiatives also show your employees that they are valued and cared about which goes a long way.

Health by Design have a range of services, resources and programs that can help show employees the link between their actions at home, behaviours adopted at work and the risk of disease or injury due to those combined habits. Talk to us today about your workplace concerns.

Why walk or run? (aside from the fun)

“If exercise could be packed in a pill, it would be the single most widely prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation.”

– Dr. Robert Butler, founder of the National Institute of Aging.

Aside from diet, exercise is an extremely important factor in longevity. A large study of over 600,000 people found that those doing the recommended amount of exercise had a 20% lower risk of death than those who were physically inactive.

But you don’t have to hit the gym. Walking and running are great ways to improve or maintain your health. They are activities which require minimal equipment, are free or low cost, and can be done almost anywhere at whatever pace you feel comfortable with.

Regular walking or running improves aerobic fitness which make them very beneficial for cardiovascular health. If you are new to exercise, then it doesn’t need to be vigorous or lengthy in order to improve your health. Some studies have shown that inactive people that begun low levels of exercise – around 75 minutes of walking per week – improved their fitness levels significantly.

Aside from cardiovascular fitness, regular weight-bearing aerobic exercise like walking and running can:

strengthen bones, posture, and balance.
help manage body fat.
boost muscle power and endurance.
improve the management of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, joint and muscular pain.
reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers.

You may have heard of these physical health benefits before. But did you know regular aerobic exercise like walking and running also induce many physiological and psychological changes which help your mental health? Some of these include:

changes in your brain which help you become more resilient to stress.
improvements in working memory, focus, and task-switching abilities.
enhanced sleep quality and ability to focus during the day.
improved mood and decreased depressive symptoms.

So now you know the why, how do you get started? Just like a toddler, you should walk before you run. For beginner walkers, keep the following tips in mind:

Walk short distances – start with a five-minute stroll and slowly increase your distance.
Forget about speed – start off walking at a comfortable pace. Focus on maintaining good posture, by keeping your head lifted and shoulders relaxed.
Swing your arms naturally and breathe deeply. If you can’t catch your breath, slow down or avoid hills.
Be sure that you can talk while walking. If you can’t speak, you are walking too fast.
Spend 15 minutes exercising during your lunch break. You’ll eat less while clocking up more active minutes.

Becoming physically active after the age of 40 can reduce your risk of heart disease by 55%, compared to those who had been inactive all their lives. Get walking (then running) to reduce your risk.

Our group exercise sessions or fitness-based competitions are a great way to promote physical activity and health and wellness while generating enthusiasm and enjoyment amongst your employees. Sessions cater for all levels of fitness and strength to help your employees meet their overall wellness goals. Contact us to learn more.

A small habit with big impact – enjoy more fruit and vegetables.

We all know that we should be eating more plant-based foods and less processed options, but it’s easy to dismiss the idea by convincing ourselves that we are just too busy. However, good health doesn’t have to be time consuming (or cost a lot of money).

When it comes to what you eat, studies by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have confirmed that frozen fruit and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh. This means minimal waste, the capacity to eat produce out of season and, in some cases, you will actually be eating foods that contain more antioxidants and vitamins compared to fresh options.

When it comes to how much you eat, increasing your intake of fruit and vegetables by just 50g (e.g., half a piece of fruit or 2/3 cup of veggies) a day is associated with a 20% reduction in cancer risk. Could you add this amount of fruit and vegetable to your daily food intake?

Read on to find out more about the power of fruit and vegetables.

Other benefits can you expect from boosting your fruit and veg intake:

Breathe easier. Eating five or more serves each day reduces your risk of lung disease by 35%.
Live longer. Eating just one-two pieces of fruit each day can reduce your risk of stroke by 40%.
Protect your mental wellbeing. Those who enjoy a Mediterranean diet have a 33% lower risk of developing depression in the future.
Boost your overall wellbeing. The fibre in fruit and vegetables keeps your bowel movements regular, assists in lowering cholesterol, regulates blood sugar levels and helps you feel fuller for longer. This all helps to you feeling healthier, losing weight and eating less unhealthy food.
Lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. Eating a diet high in plant foods and low in animal foods is associated with a 20% lower risk of diabetes.

So now we know why we should eat more, how do we do it?

An easy way to get a good variety of fruit and vegetables is to think of colour. Eating all the colours of the rainbow will give you a great mix of all the vitamins, minerals, fibre and plant nutrients (called phytochemicals) needed for good health. The more colours you eat, the healthier you will be!

In addition, try these tips to incorporate more fruit and vegetables into your daily meals:

Add fruit to your breakfast cereal or include avocado or tomato with eggs.
Swap cheese and crackers for dip and vegetable sticks (e.g., carrot, capsicum, celery).
Add a side of salad to your lunch and dinner.
Have a piece of fruit for a snack instead of something processed (e.g., chocolate, potato chips).
Meal plan for the week ahead and do a food shop accordingly so you have everything you need for the meals.
Keep chopped vegetables in the fridge so they are ready to be added to meals.
Add grated carrot or zucchini to sauces (e.g., spaghetti bolognaise or lasagna sauce).

While you can’t force your employees to change what they eat, you can provide them with education about making healthier food choices. We take the hard work out of this task! Contact us today and we can work together to make a difference in the lives of your staff.

Category: disease risk reduction