Power Walking Makes a Comeback!?

Check out the article that featured Miner Fitness' take on power walking and retro fitness trends here: 9 Retro Fitness Fads Poised for a 2025 Comeback

Power walking might seem old-school, but it’s making a well-deserved comeback—and for good reason. In this post, I dive deeper into why power walking isn’t just a nostalgic throwback, but a practical, effective, and sustainable way to boost your daily movement, improve cardiovascular health, and support fat loss goals. Whether you're brand new to fitness or looking for a smarter way to hit your steps, here’s why this “retro” method still works in today’s fitness landscape.

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Why would you like to see Power Walking make a big, trendy comeback?

Power walking deserves a comeback because it provides unique benefits that many other activities often overlook. It’s highly accessible, low-impact, and incredibly effective at improving cardiovascular health. Unlike high-intensity workouts, power walking effortlessly helps most people reach Zone 2 cardio—a heart rate zone that’s optimal for improving heart health and burning fat.

What truly sets power walking apart is its ability to boost non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT), a critical yet often neglected component of total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). Now, you might be thinking, “Wait, isn’t power walking exercise?” Sure, it counts as exercise, but it also serves as an excellent way to supplement the NEAT portion of your TDEE—especially for individuals who live sedentary lifestyles and aren’t hitting 5,000 steps per day. As a trainer, I constantly encourage my clients to aim for 8,000-10,000 steps daily to improve their activity levels, and power walking bridges the gap perfectly.

For those who say they don’t have time to get their steps in, power walking solves that problem too. By increasing intensity, it cuts the time needed to hit step goals in half—all while being easy on the joints and accessible to anyone, regardless of fitness level.

And perhaps best of all, power walking is a sustainable, lifelong habit. It’s something you can do solo or with friends, and it’s enjoyable enough to keep you consistent—one of the most important aspects of any fitness journey.

What the primary benefits of this type of retro-exercise are and why it was successful, to begin with years ago? Also, perhaps what it might have been replaced with and how returning to its “roots” may be a smart move right now.

The primary benefits of power walking include its simplicity, accessibility, and versatility. It became popular years ago because it doesn’t require a gym membership, special equipment, or advanced skills. Anyone can do it, regardless of their fitness level or age, making it a truly universal form of exercise. Power walking’s ability to improve cardiovascular endurance, burn calories, and strengthen the lower body with minimal joint stress made it a staple of fitness routines.

However, as fitness trends evolved, power walking was replaced with more intense and complex forms of cardio like running, HIIT, and structured gym workout sessions. While these are effective, they aren’t always sustainable for everyone, and they often neglect the core principles of accessibility and low-impact movement that make power walking so beneficial. 

Now that more people are promoting the power of getting your steps and zone 2 cardio in, power walking seems like a naturally obvious return!

How do you start power walking if you're new to it?

Power walking is an incredibly accessible activity, but to build it into your routine effectively, here’s how to get started:

1. Start with a Solid Walking Foundation - Before jumping into power walking, aim to establish a habit of getting 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day through regular walking. This builds a baseline of daily movement, which will make the transition to power walking smoother and more sustainable.

2. Progress to Power Walking - Once you’ve consistently hit your step goal, add in power walking by increasing your pace to where your heart rate reaches Zone 2 (60-70% of your max heart rate). This is a comfortable but slightly challenging pace where you can still hold a conversation but feel slightly winded.

3. Start with Intervals - If sustaining a full power walk for an entire session feels challenging, start with intervals. For example:

   1. Alternate between 1 minute of power walking and 3 minutes of regular walking for 20-30 minutes.

   2. As you build endurance, reduce the rest periods to 2 minute of regular walking for every 1 minutes of power walking.

   3. Eventually, progress to 1:1 intervals (1 minute power walk, 1 minute regular walk), then 2:1 intervals (2 minutes power walking, 1 minute regular walk).

   4. Continue increasing the duration of your power walking intervals until you can sustain a steady pace for 15-30 minutes per session.

4. Make It Part of Your Routine - Incorporate power walking 3-5 times a week. You can do this outdoors, on a treadmill, or in hilly areas to naturally increase intensity and add variety.

5. Progress Over Time - As your fitness improves, there are many ways to make power walking more challenging:

   1. Add light resistance (e.g., a weighted vest or light dumbbells).

   2. Use an incline on the treadmill or walk on hilly terrain.

   3. Gradually increase the duration or frequency of your walks.

      
      

By starting with your daily step goal, incorporating intervals, and progressively challenging yourself, power walking can become a sustainable and effective part of your fitness routine.

Fitness doesn’t require reinventing the wheel!

Fitness doesn’t need to be complicated—some of the most effective approaches are also the simplest. Power walking is basic, but because it’s effective, scalable, and accessible, it’s one of the best ways to help people stay consistent. And consistency is one of the most important factors in any fitness journey.

I always teach my clients that there are three main pillars to focus on: nutrition, lifestyle, and workouts. At the core of all three is adherence—your ability to stick to what you’re doing. If a workout style isn’t flexible enough to fit into your life, or if it’s too unenjoyable to sustain, it’s not going to be effective long-term. That’s why power walking is such a great option—it’s simple, (hopefully) enjoyable, and easy to incorporate into almost any lifestyle, making it far more likely that people will stick with it.

Another key factor in any exercise selection is whether it’s trackable and progress-able. Power walking checks both of those boxes. It works for anyone at any level of fitness and can easily be scaled up by increasing intensity, incorporating inclines, or even adding light resistance like weighted vests or dumbbells. These options allow people to keep challenging themselves and stay engaged over time.

Adequate fitness exercise doesn’t require reinventing the wheel. Finding something as straightforward as power walking—and sticking with it—can be one of the most effective tools for maintaining consistency and making progress.