Pair walking with strength
A cardiologist told Today that for heart health you shouldn't pick cardio or strength training — do both, which means if walking is your baseline you should add resistance work for fuller benefits (today.com). And if you’re walking regularly, Good Housekeeping’s 2026 tested list flags HOKA, New Balance and Brooks as top women’s walking‑shoe picks, with specific options for wide feet, arch support, and bunions to keep miles comfortable (goodhousekeeping.com).
If your exercise routine is mostly walking, the missing half is usually strength work. On April 9, 2026, cardiologist Dr. Nieca Goldberg told Today that cardio and resistance training do different jobs, and she recommended combining both instead of treating them like rivals. (today.com) Walking counts as moderate aerobic exercise, which is the kind that raises your heart rate but still lets you talk. The American Heart Association lists brisk walking at at least 2.5 miles per hour as a standard example. (heart.org) Aerobic exercise works like practice laps for your heart and blood vessels. Today’s report says Goldberg pointed to cardio first for blood pressure and cholesterol, and cited evidence that 150 minutes a week can lower total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides while raising high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. (today.com) Strength training works on a different lever. Goldberg told Today that resistance exercise helps decrease body fat and build muscle, and the same article notes American Heart Association research linking it to improvements in blood pressure and other heart-disease risk factors. (today.com) The federal baseline is not “pick one.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate activity each week and at least 2 days of muscle-strengthening work that hits major muscle groups like legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms. (cdc.gov) That means a simple week can look like five 30-minute walks plus two short strength sessions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says those 150 minutes can be broken into smaller chunks, so the plan does not require gym-length workouts. (cdc.gov) Today’s article also points to a randomized controlled trial showing that as little as 8 weeks of combined training produced more cardiovascular benefit in people at higher risk of heart disease than aerobic-only or resistance-only plans. The same piece says resistance work adds to aerobic exercise, but does not replace it if your goal is the fullest heart benefit. (today.com) The shoe part matters because a walking plan only works if your feet let you repeat it next week. Good Housekeeping’s 2026 tested picks highlighted brands including HOKA, New Balance, and Brooks, with separate recommendations for wide feet, arch support, and bunions so comfort problems do not quietly cut your mileage. (goodhousekeeping.com) A practical version is boring on purpose: keep walking as the base, then add resistance bands, bodyweight squats, wall pushups, or dumbbells on 2 days. That is the same split the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association recommend, just translated into a week most people can actually repeat. (cdc.gov) (heart.org)
