Three types of movement your body needs, according to experts

Walking has gained a reputation as a great form of exercise that is easy and accessible for many people, and dozens of studies show that this popular activity also has numerous health benefits.

Taking at least 2,300 steps a day reduces the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, according to one study. study published in a 2023 edition of European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

Additionally, body weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, help prevent osteoporosis, according to another study published in the magazine Nature Scientific Reports.

However, some experts in the health and fitness fields claim that while walking is certainly good for your health, it is not actually a high-quality exercise. One such expert is Melissa Boyd, a certified personal trainer and coach with “Tempo,” an online personal training platform. Boyd is from San Francisco, in the United States.

“Our lives have gotten so busy—we commute, sit all day, then are exhausted at night—that taking a short walk makes you feel like you've accomplished something big and exponential,” says Boyd. “But walking is really a basic movement that your body requires to function well, to help with things like circulation and digestion, and to decompress.”

To help her clients better understand why a daily walk won't result in a beach body — something many of them believe, thanks to various social media influencers — she discusses with them the three types of movements that are beneficial for health and general fitness life.

The first is the movement your body needs or requires every day, such as walk, stretch and bend . The second is the athletic movement , which you can do a few times a week to improve your physical fitness or train for a sport. The third is the social movement that you do for fun or to connect with others, like dancing or playing volleyball.

“It's important to think about movement in these different categories because not moving throughout the day has become normalized,” Boyd said. “Our lives are so sedentary, many of us are trying to get out of a movement deficit. But exercise is different from physical movement.”

Our bodies need to move in many different ways. Walking is great, but it's only a one-way form of movement, and our bodies need more of it to be functionally fit, explains Carl Cirino, a sports medicine surgeon at HSS Orthopedics with Stamford Health, in Connecticut, USA.

People use the muscles and tendons in their bodies to help with all the bending, twisting, and turning they do in their daily lives, Cirino says, so they need to work and stretch those muscles in many different directions. Yoga and Pilates are two very effective and healthy activities in this regard, he said.

“Stretching is also incredibly easy and something you can do when you wake up and before bed,” says Cirino.

Having loose, flexible muscles also means you'll have more balance and stability, which helps prevent falls and injuries in all physical activities, he said. It's also good to elevate your heart rate several times a week for cardiovascular health.

Time for an exercise snack

Ideally, you should create a plan that incorporates “proper” daily movement like walking and stretching, with some cardiovascular work, strength training and social activity spread throughout the week, experts say. This may seem overwhelming to many, however.

Breaking down all of these different movements into exercise snacks is one way to fit in the movement your body needs, says Boyd.

“Maybe grab a walking mat and do some of your meetings while slowly walking on the mat,” he explains. “Maybe every time you go to the bathroom, do 20 squats, or every time you get water, do 10 push-ups against a wall. If you pair these exercise snacks with something you're already doing, you can make it more of a habit. I’ve seen huge success with it.”

Boyd also encourages her clients to find some form of movement that they enjoy that doesn't feel like a workout, like playing kickball or pickleball. This way, you have fun and socialize while getting fitter.

Cirino agrees. “We see kids here in sports medicine whose parents want them to play baseball, but they don't want to do it,” he said. “It’s the same thing with exercise. You need to find something that is interesting and easy – maybe an activity your friends are doing – and use that as a basis for developing good habits.”

Start Slow and Build From There

Reevaluating exercise as the regular movements your body needs for functionality, physical fitness, and social connection can also be a way to give yourself permission to set aside time to exercise, says Boyd.

It's also helpful to keep in mind that creating an exercise plan doesn't require an immediate, massive change to your lifestyle. In fact, it's best to start slowly with new small bits of movement.

“What I generally see is that people love how it starts to make them feel,” says Boyd. “So the stronger they become, the more they want to move even more. Movement inspires movement.”

*Melanie Radzicki McManus is a freelance writer specializing in hiking, travel and fitness.