According to NHS guidance, adults should aim to do some type of physical activity every day. 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise a week is the general recommendation for most people. So, how does that translate to walking? The honest answer: it depends.

“If you’re a beginner, someone who’s simply looking to stay moderately active or someone who is returning to exercise after injury/a long break, 30 minutes of walking a day might be enough,” says Klaudia Lucia, trainer at Barry’s UK.

That said, for the majority of people, 30 minutes of walking a day isn’t enough exercise. “Everyone should be moving for at least 30 minutes a day as part of their general lifestyle – it’s great for both mind and body,” says James Dabbs, founder of Dabbs Fitness. “However, it’s a trap to fall into thinking that this is part of your training – it’s not. This should be done outside of your running/cycling/gym work. You need to set your levels and targets higher than a basic 30 minutes of walking.”

Is 30 minutes of walking a day really enough exercise on its own? We ask the experts