Transform Your Walks By Using These Top-Rated Walking Poles (2024)

Walking is plenty of people's favorite exercise – it's the workout I love the most, and my mom is a fitness walker too. Getting 30-minutes of walking most days is good for anybody's heart health, as the American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of aerobic movement each week (30 minutes, five days a week, will get you there!). Not only that, walking about 4,000 steps daily is enough to begin reducing the risk of dying from any cause. That's roughly a mile and a half but spread out over the entire day.

More good news: The many other health benefits of walking are similar for both men and women and go beyond weight loss or weight maintenance (although you can use it for that, too). Perhaps that's why Hot Girl Walks became so popular recently on TikTok.

So if you've got a friend or loved one who already loves walking, or is looking to walk more, we have some great gift ideas for walkers to encourage this healthy habit.

Our top picks:

• Walking Shoes for Women: Brooks Ghost 15
• Walking Shoes for Men: Brooks Ghost 14
• Fitness Tracker: Fitbit Versa 3
• Walking Poles: Jetti Poles
• Shoe Inserts: Walk Hero

With the exception of a few top picks from online reviewers, almost everything on this list has been tested and approved by the experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute (you've might have seen a few in our past and current Fitness Awards!). We made sure to include options for all ages, price points and personalities.

Oprah named this bag one of her favorite things in 2023, which is enough to get our interest. But what really sold us was how clever the crossbody is thanks to the section that's made to hold a water bottle (and keep it cold!). Bonus: It comes in so many different colors.

Take their walking to the next level with poles that can help them balance, burn more energy and tackle different terrain. As a Good Housekeeping Fitness Award winner in 2023, our experts were "blown away" by how effective they were.

Our testers couldn't get over how much they could fit in this lightweight and compact bag. Phones, keys and wallets have plenty of room thanks to the stretchy pouch. The band sits perfectly at the hips, and the brand says it's made to not ride up.

After hours of testing, our experts named this pair the best walking shoes for women. Sure, the style is great, but we were most impressed with the excellent traction, stability and comfort the pair offers, even for those with chronic foot pain.

Our pick for best overall walking shoes for men is a shock-absorbing favorite with more than 15,000 five-star Amazon reviews. My 18-year-old son wears these; he has overpronation, which means he wears down the bottom of his shoes near the ball of his foot and his big toes. These help and hold up to all the walking he does getting to his college classes.

We'd never miss the chance to suggest this hot gift! Stanley water bottles are all the rage because they hold a hefty 40 ounces, keep liquids cool all day, are easy to carry by their handle (celebs are so often photographed with them!) and they have an easy straw spout. My walking buddy uses one. It's dishwasher-safe and has more than 29,000 five-star Amazon reviews don't lie.

Walking in the South or West, or anytime in the summer, calls for sun protection but also cooling fabric. This hoodie has both — it's lightweight and quick-drying, made of UPF 50+ fabric that feels cool to the touch. The thumbholes are a nice touch and keep the backs of hands from getting burned. (Though wearing sunscreen outdoors is still a must.)

Made in Vermont, these socks got our vote for the best hiking socks for women. They're a comfy blend of wool, nylon and spandex with no seams for a smooth and comfy fit, and they're build to hold tight so there's no sliding around or bunching. If your walker takes long nature hikes, she'll appreciate these top-of-the-line crew socks.

If your walker has goals in mind that include better health and wellness overall, this six-month journal can help them chart their progress. It's beautiful and makes tracking easy with intelligently designed interior pages, plus fun with the included stickers.

People who love to walk or hike often love nature vacations too, and there's nothing better than seeing our country's national parks. This soft shirt, available in teal or white and with long sleeves or short sleeves, lists all 63 — if they want, the wearer can check off ones they've visited using a fabric marker, not included. This brand gives a third of its profits back to helping protect and preserve parklands.

This pretty journal isn't about goals or tracking, it's more for stopping to smell the (real and metaphorical) roses and finding the quiet joys in forest bathing or city strolling. The goal: To have a walker noticing the sights and sounds that surround them, so there's a little less looking down at a phone and more appreciating of the everyday.

One of the only downsides of walking is achy feet. Luckily, our experts found these affordable insoles that can be worn every day work for a variety of activities, including, yep, walking.

They never know when they'll feel the need to get up and go, so it's important to make sure they are outfitted with some safety gear. These flashlight gloves can help light their way if they are walking at night.

Tracking steps is the best way to encourage more walking. We named this the best overall fitness watch for women and put it on our list of best smart watches for men for its intuitive design and long battery life. It goes almost a week before you have to plug it in, then charges fast. My mom uses this one and appreciates the large, clear face. It has a built-in GPS, heart-rate monitor and it works with Alexa. You can wear it at night to monitor your sleep, too.

This winner from our latest Fitness Awards is a powerful little tool for deep massage, great for walkers who want to treat their tired calves or hamstrings. It's so easy to use, and small and compact. It's even TSA-approved, so it can go along on a plane trips.

They can listen to podcasts or music for some six hours straight, presumably a lot longer than they need for their daily walk. Beats Fit Pro are noise-cancelling wireless earbuds that work with iOS or Android. There's a built-in microphone, too, for walkers who like to take a call and chat while getting their steps in. We named them the best overall earbuds for running for their sound quality, and walkers appreciate them too.

This is a high-ticket item, but if you want a walker to be able to get in exercise no matter what the weather, this treadmill is tops and a winner in our latest Fitness Awards. Our testers especially appreciated the shelf where you can sit a phone or tablet while walking. The treadmill has Bluetooth connectability and can be set on an incline to mimic walking uphill. Best part: It can fold up when needed! It has a weight capacity of 350 pounds.

The shape of this Hydro Flask makes it easy to cart on walks. The sports-cap bottle helps walkers swallow some cold water without having to break their stride. It's one more winner from our latest Fitness Awards, where our testers said it kept liquid cool for a full 24 hours.

Walkers don't need fingerless gloves — on the contrary, keeping fingers warm is pretty important! But these Isotoner gloves do have touchscreen patches on the fingers and palms, so a person can still check their phone. They are a stretchy one-size-fits-all glove option that also comes in black, red and white.

Writer Bill Bryson attempted to walk a trail that stretches for more than 2,000-miles, and hilarity and many lessons ensued. But if he could keep putting one food in front of the other, anyone can! And yes, he cheats, but he still does an awful lot of walking. This came out in 2006, so it's not new, but it is a classic worth gifting to anyone who enjoys a stroll in nature and who hasn't read this tale.