Rafael Hidalgo: Walking for 20 Minutes After 70 Can Bring Benefits

For Rafael Hidalgo, becoming more active after 70 does not mean taking long walks or feeling obliged to reach 10,000 steps every day. “If a person over 70 walks for 20 minutes a day, they already gain benefits,” says the Spanish trainer. The idea is to begin with an achievable duration to improve fitness, mobility and wellbeing, then gradually increase the effort according to each person's ability.

Why can walking for just 20 minutes make a difference?

Replacing a sedentary routine with a daily walk immediately raises the amount of movement accumulated across the week. The heart has to work harder, the major muscle groups in the legs are engaged, and the joints repeatedly take part in the movement, providing stimulation that is absent during prolonged periods of sitting.

Hidalgo suggests 20 to 30 minutes as a practical starting point, rather than a threshold below which exercise no longer works. International guidance itself stresses that some physical activity is better than none, advising older people to start with small amounts where needed.

• Walking increases the daily volume of physical activity;
• It can fit into everyday life without any special equipment;
• The duration can be extended as fitness improves;
• Short breaks do not cancel out the minutes already completed;
• Consistency is generally more sustainable than occasional, very intense efforts.

Is it essential to reach 10,000 steps every day?

No. A target of 10,000 steps may encourage some people, but it is not a biological dividing line between gaining benefits and gaining none. For someone who currently moves very little, beginning to walk regularly is already progress, even if their daily total stays well below that figure.

How can you increase walking without making exercise exhausting?

Hidalgo's recommendation is to progress gradually. Once 20 or 30 minutes feels comfortable, some people can slowly move on to longer periods. Intensity should also match fitness levels: the aim is not to endure an exhausting walk, but to build up minutes of movement while maintaining a safe stride.

For people over 70, small adjustments can make the habit easier to sustain:

• Begin with an amount of time that feels comfortable;
• Take breaks if excessive fatigue occurs;
• Increase the time or pace gradually;
• Initially choose flat, safe routes;
• Wear stable footwear suitable for walking;
• Ease off when experiencing dizziness, pain or unusual shortness of breath.

Is walking alone enough after 70?

Walking is valuable for aerobic capacity, but it does not address every component needed to maintain independence. Guidance for people aged 65 and over recommends 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week for substantial benefits, alongside strengthening exercises for the major muscle groups on at least two days each week. Activities that combine strength and balance are recommended on three or more days to help preserve functional capacity and prevent falls.

• Walking mainly develops aerobic endurance;
• Strength exercises help maintain muscle;
• Balance training prepares the body for unstable situations;
• Climbing steps and rising from a chair add functional stimulus;
• These types of activity can be combined over the same week.

After 70, the goal is not to break records, but to keep moving

Rafael Hidalgo's message is particularly relevant for people who see lengthy exercise recommendations and decide that it is already too late to begin. Twenty minutes is neither a compulsory formula nor an amount that will have the same effect for everyone. It is an accessible target that can help someone leave sedentary habits behind and create a route towards an increasingly active routine.

As the years pass, the most practical benefits show up in activities that support independence: walking to a shop, leaving home without fear, keeping up with family, climbing stairs and continuing to manage everyday tasks. For people with significant limitations, cardiovascular disease, recurrent falls or symptoms during exertion, the routine must be adapted to individual circumstances. For everyone else, starting with a few minutes and repeating the movement regularly may be far more helpful than waiting for the perfect moment to meet a difficult target.