Originally published May 2020. Reviewed and corrected August 2026.

Many people can control their blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and weight with diet and activity. Some do have genetic risk factors that need medication — but even then, moving regularly means better control, and often less medication.

A correction worth making

The original version of this article said exercise only counts if you keep your heart rate up without breaks for at least 30 minutes, and that “walking leisurely does not count.” That was wrong, and it was the kind of wrong that talks people out of doing anything.

The federal Physical Activity Guidelines dropped the requirement that activity happen in sustained blocks. It used to be that only stretches of 10 minutes or more counted toward your weekly total. That requirement is gone. Ten minutes, five minutes, two minutes — it all adds to the same total.

What the guidelines actually ask

• 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous, or a mix. Spread it through the week however fits your life.
• Muscle-strengthening work on 2 or more days a week, covering the major muscle groups. This half gets skipped constantly and it isn’t optional — it matters for blood sugar, bone density, and staying on your feet as you get older.

And the line the guidelines lead with, which is the one we most want you to hear: move more and sit less. Some activity is better than none.

So does walking count?

Yes. A brisk walk is the textbook example of moderate activity — you should be able to talk but not sing. And an easier walk still counts for something. When researchers measured people’s activity with devices rather than questionnaires, even light activity tracked with substantially lower mortality.

On step counts: most of the benefit arrives well before 10,000. Studies suggest the curve flattens somewhere around 6,000–8,000 steps a day for adults over 60, and 8,000–10,000 for younger adults. Ten thousand was a marketing number, not a medical one.

The honest version

If you can do 30 unbroken minutes, that’s excellent — keep going. If you can’t, because of your knees or your schedule or your lungs or because you’re just starting: break it up. Three ten-minute walks. Parking at the far end of the lot. Stairs instead of the elevator. Getting up from your desk every hour.

Those all count. And the person who goes from nothing to a little gains more than the person who goes from a lot to slightly more.

If a chronic condition keeps you from reaching 150 minutes, be as active as your abilities allow. The worst outcome isn’t an inefficient workout — it’s deciding that because you can’t do it properly, you won’t do it at all.

Want help building something realistic around your health conditions? Call (417) 332-3639, or read about our weight loss support.

As always, stay happy and healthy.

Carolyn Clark, NP-C