Does Walking Build Muscle?

A little, for some people. Research suggests that regular brisk walking over six months or more can modestly increase leg muscle in older or previously inactive adults. For anyone already fit or lifting weights, walking won't add meaningful muscle, because it isn't hard enough for your legs. It's excellent for health and fitness, though.

That's why the best plan combines both: walking for your heart and daily activity, and strength training for muscle. Here's what the research shows, why walking has limits, and how to get the most from each.

Can Walking Build Leg Muscle?

In older or untrained people, possibly, over long periods. A review of the research found that people who walk more at a moderate pace tend to have more leg muscle, and that walking, jogging or running for more than about half a year may increase leg muscle size in older adults. Short programs gave mixed results.

That 2013 review in Clinical Interventions in Aging focused on older adults. It found daily walking at moderate intensity or above was linked to lower-body muscle size and function, and that longer walking or running programs may build some leg muscle. The authors noted short-term studies were conflicting.

For a young, fit lifter, walking is too easy on the legs to drive growth, even for the calves, which need hard, loaded sets as how to grow calves explains. Muscle grows when you challenge it beyond what it's used to, and walking stops doing that once your legs have adapted.

Why Doesn't Walking Build Much Muscle?

Because it isn't challenging enough for most people's muscles. Building muscle needs a stimulus close to your limit, like lifting weights near failure. Walking is a low-intensity, repetitive movement your legs handle easily, so after the first weeks there's little reason for them to grow. That changes only if walking is genuinely hard for you.

The same review noted that even competitive marathon running and frequent high-intensity distance running may not build leg muscle in young and middle-aged adults, likely because recovery between runs is incomplete. Endurance training and muscle building are different goals.

Our guide on how many reps and sets to build muscle explains what kind of training actually builds muscle.

Is Walking or Lifting Better for You?

They do different jobs, so the best answer is both. Walking and other cardio are better for burning calories and heart health, while lifting is far better for building muscle and strength. Research comparing them found aerobic exercise lost more fat, and resistance training added more lean mass.

In the 2012 STRRIDE trial in the Journal of Applied Physiology, overweight adults did eight months of aerobic training, resistance training, or both. The aerobic groups lost more weight and fat, while the resistance groups gained more lean mass.

Effect	Walking and cardio	Lifting weights
Building muscle	Small, mainly in older or untrained people	Strong at any age
Fat loss	Good	Modest
Heart and lung fitness	Strong	Moderate
Strength	Little	Strong

A 2022 meta-analysis still found lifting alone reduced body fat by about 1.5 percentage points, so it helps with fat loss too.

Does Incline Walking Build More Muscle?

It makes walking harder, which may help a little, especially for untrained people. Walking uphill or on a steep treadmill is more demanding on your legs than walking on the flat. But for anyone who lifts, it's still far less demanding than squats or lunges, so it won't replace strength training for building leg muscle.

Incline walking is a great low-impact cardio option for lifters, since it raises your heart rate without the pounding of running. That makes it easy to recover from alongside leg training.

The 2013 review also described slow walking with blood flow restriction, which uses cuffs around the thighs. It caused muscle growth in the restricted leg muscles, but it's a specialized method best done with proper guidance.

Does Walking Help You Keep Muscle as You Get Older?

It helps, but it works best combined with strength training. The research on walking and leg muscle comes mainly from older adults, where regular moderate walking was linked to more leg muscle and better function. The WHO goes further for older adults and recommends adding balance and strength work several days a week.

The WHO's 2020 guidelines say older adults should do "varied multicomponent physical activity that emphasises functional balance and strength training at moderate or greater intensity on 3 or more days a week." They give walking plus lifting weights plus balance training as an example of that kind of program.

So for anyone over 40 or 50 who wants to stay strong, walking is a great base, but adding two or three strength sessions a week is what really protects muscle. Our guide on how long it takes to lose muscle covers what happens to muscle when training stops.

Does Walking Hurt Muscle Gains?

No. Walking is light enough that it won't interfere with muscle growth from your lifting. Even more intense cardio doesn't reduce muscle growth at sensible amounts, according to a large meta-analysis. Walking is one of the easiest ways to add activity without affecting recovery.

A 2022 meta-analysis of 43 studies in Sports Medicine found that combining aerobic and strength training didn't reduce muscle growth or maximal strength compared with strength training alone. Our guide on cardio before or after weights covers how to fit the two together.

That makes walking a useful tool during a cut, adding to your calorie burn without draining much of the energy you need for lifting.

How Much Should You Walk if You Lift?

Enough to meet the general activity guidelines, alongside two or more strength sessions a week. The WHO recommends 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, and brisk walking counts. For many lifters, a brisk walk of 25 to 40 minutes most days covers it while staying easy to recover from.

Those figures come from the World Health Organization's 2020 guidelines, which also recommend muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days a week. Walking and lifting together cover both halves of the recommendation.

Our guide on does lifting weights burn fat explains how lifting and walking work together if fat loss is a goal.