Yes, walking uphill is generally better for building strength, burning more calories, and improving cardiovascular fitness with less joint impact than walking flat, because it forces your body to work harder against gravity, engaging glutes, hamstrings, and quads more intensely while providing a heart-healthy workout. While flat walking is efficient, incline walking increases intensity, making it a great option for injury recovery, toning muscles, and boosting endurance without the high impact of running, but be mindful of potential shin strain if increasing incline too fast.
Walking uphill burns more calories and engages more muscles than walking on a flat surface. Studies show that walking on an incline, even a small one, significantly increases calorie expenditure and activates lower body muscles like quads, hamstrings, and glutes more effectively than walking on flat ground.
30 minutes a day of incline walking won't turn you into a cardio monster, but it will allow you to do whatever you need to do during the day without losing your breath, burn 10-15 pounds worth of calories in a year, and have health benefits. And it won't kill your joints or your muscles.
Walking on an incline adds intensity to your workout and can help you burn more calories than walking on a flat surface. In fact, research shows that the metabolic cost2 — the energy your body uses to move a certain distance — increases by 52% at a 5% incline and by 113% at a 10% incline compared to flat walking.
Risks and Red Flags
Shin Splints: Walking on an incline can overstress the shin muscles, leading to discomfort or injury, especially if you're unaccustomed to the motion or if you increase intensity too quickly.
Incline treadmill walking burns more calories than flat walking, strengthens key lower-body muscles (glutes, quads, calves, and hamstrings)1, and reduces impact on joints. Because you're working against gravity, your body recruits more muscle fibers with every step.
What kills muscle gains most are poor recovery (lack of sleep, overtraining, high stress/cortisol), insufficient or poor-quality nutrition (not enough protein/carbs, excessive processed foods/sugar/alcohol), and inefficient training (too much cardio, bad form, focusing on isolation over compound lifts). Chronic stress elevates cortisol, which breaks down muscle, while inadequate protein, calories, and sleep directly impede repair and growth, making recovery paramount.
Lose 10 Pounds with the No-Deprivation Diet
For maximum fat burn, aim for 30 minutes at power-walk intensity three days a week (see the walking plan on the next page). That time can be completed all at once, or you can break it up into spurts with recovery strides (stroll or brisk walk) in between.
Walking on an incline recruits more muscles in your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves2. It also elevates your heart rate more quickly than walking on a flat surface at the same speed. Just a 5% to 10% incline can significantly change how your workout feels and boost your calorie burn1.
Clinical Contributors to this story: Hans J Schmidt, M.D. The 30-30-30 diet is a popular weight-loss trend that calls for eating 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up, followed by 30 minutes of low-intensity exercise. But is the diet and exercise routine the weight-loss answer everyone is looking for?
Some of the ways she's lost weight include walking, eating more protein, and medication to help with how her body processes food. Clarkson started some of these changes to her diet and exercise routines when she moved to New York City, where she hosts "The Kelly Clarkson Show."
Go the distance
Researchers suggest that going the distance may be the better option when it comes to accurate estimations of overall accumulated exercise and energy expenditure (calories burned).
The 2:2:1 walking rule consists of 2 minutes of brisk walking, 2 minutes of jogging, and 1 minute of normal walking, repeated throughout the workout. This method combines low, moderate, and high-intensity walking, similar to interval training, which is known to boost metabolism and enhance fat burning.
The 6-6-6 walking rule is a viral fitness trend: walk for 60 minutes (briskly) with a 6-minute warm-up and a 6-minute cool-down, ideally at 6 a.m. or 6 p.m., for 6 days a week, making it a simple, low-impact routine for improved heart health, energy, and mood, according to health.com, Healthline https://www.healthline.com/health-news/666-walking-trend-weight-loss?ref=healthshots.com, Vogue, Healthshots, and Medium. It's praised for being accessible, requiring no special equipment, and fitting easily into busy schedules, reframing walking as a consistent ritual.
Yes: Incline walking can be a great way to build muscle, particularly in your glutes, hamstrings, and calves. “Walking on an incline works the same muscles as walking on a flat surface, but it makes your muscles work harder,” says Dr. Govani.
“The earth's gravity is constantly pulling us towards the centre of the earth and our feet have to exert an equal and opposite force to keep us upright – when we walk up a hill, we are therefore lifting our body against gravity, which requires effort.”
Cardio exercises such as running and cycling will help you to burn calories and build endurance. Strength-training exercises, such as squats and lunges, will help you to build muscle in your legs and strengthen them.
The 333 walking method, also known as Japanese Interval Walking Training (IWT), is a simple yet effective workout alternating 3 minutes of slow walking with 3 minutes of brisk (fast) walking, repeated several times (often 5 times for 30 mins), to boost cardiovascular fitness, strength, and metabolism without high impact, improving heart health, muscle tone, and glucose control. It's a low-impact, time-efficient routine developed by Japanese researchers for improving fitness and preventing lifestyle diseases, ideal for all ages.
Unfortunately, there's no solid answer to that. Women tend to lose weight in their legs first, while men are more likely to lose weight in their torsos first. But many factors impact where you see weight loss first. The short answer is that it looks different for everyone.
Wahlberg, 48, said he lost 10 pounds in five days by drinking bone broth, which is made primarily from boiling animal bones, although many store-bought bone broths contain preservatives. Proponents enjoy it because it's high in protein, and its minerals are thought to help with digestive issues.
Age. As you age, it becomes more challenging to build muscle. After age 30, muscle mass naturally declines, making it harder to gain power and strength.
The 3-3-3 rule for weight loss is a simple, habit-based method focusing on three key areas: 3 balanced meals a day, 3 bottles (or ~1.5L) of water by 3 PM, and 3 hours of physical activity per week, aiming for consistency over complex diets. It simplifies fat loss by establishing rhythm through consistent eating, adequate hydration to support metabolism, and regular movement, promoting sustainable health without intense calorie counting or restrictive rules, says Five Diamond Fitness and Wellness, Joon Medical Wellness & Aesthetics, and EatingWell.
For older adults, there are many benefits to beginning a strength training routine, and improving muscle tone is an important aspect of physical fitness while aging. It's not too late to start; in fact, studies show the body remains responsive to muscle-building exercises, regardless of age and when you begin.