Here's How to Create the Ultimate Beginner Walking Workout Plan

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCreate a Walking WorkoutOutdoor PlansIndoor PlansWalking as a WorkoutIntensify Your WalksTips to Enjoy Walking

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Create a Walking Workout

Outdoor Plans

Indoor Plans

Walking as a Workout

Intensify Your Walks

Tips to Enjoy Walking

Walking is a great workout—especially for beginners. It’s free and accessible, and it can help improve your heart health and lead to stronger muscles and bones. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans manual recommends getting at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week. Brisk walking counts toward that goal.

How to Create a Walking Workout

As with any new exercise program, check with your healthcare provider to make sure walking is a safe activity for you. Consider the following when creating awalking workout:

Experts recommend starting slowly and increasing your pace and frequency over time. Below is an example of an eight-week walking workout plan.

Outdoor Walking Plans

Walking outdoors provides a wide range of scenery and walking surfaces. Spending time in the sun also helps you get vitamin D. Research suggests that"green" exercising—outdoor activities in nature—can offer more mental health benefits than exercising in a gym.

When you’re planning your outdoor walking, keep the following in mind:

Indoor Walking Plans

You can walk indoorsusing atreadmillat home or in a gym. If you don’t have access to a treadmill, there are other options to get in a walking workout, such as:

What Makes Walking a Workout?

Walking is a greatleg and coreworkout. If you walk at a brisk pace, this activity also increases your heart rate, which strengthens your heart muscle. Over time, walking can improve your circulation and lower your blood pressure.

Walking is a form ofaerobic exercisethat relies on oxygen as its primary energy source. Aerobic exercise is important for heart health.

It differs fromanaerobic exercise, such as strength training, which you do in short bursts. Your body cannot provide enough oxygen to sustain anaerobic exercise for extended periods.

How to Intensify Your Walks

Once you have established a regular walking program, there are many different ways to intensify your workouts.

Try these tips:

Tips to Enjoy Your Walking Workouts

Once you’re ready to start walking, follow these tips to make the workouts more enjoyable:

Summary

Walking is an accessible, free activity that provides a workout for your muscles and heart. You can walk inside or outside. If you’re new to walking workouts, begin slowly. Walk for five minutes at a pace that allows you to carry on a conversation. Gradually increase your time and speed until you meet your goals. As with any new exercise, ask your healthcare provider if a walking program is safe for you—particularly if you have injuries or medical conditions.

7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.Top 10 things to know about the second edition of the physical activity guide for Americans.National Institutes of Health.Sample walking program.Wang X, Zhou Q, Zhang M, Zhang Q.Exercise in the park or gym? The physiological and mental responses of obese people walking in different settings at different speeds: A parallel group randomized trial.Front Psychol.2021;12. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.728826National Park Service.Hike smart.UCLA Health.Walk this way: How to make walking all the cardiovascular exercise you need.Harvard Health Publishing.Power up your walking routine.Harvard Health Publishing.Marching orders: How to start a walking program.

7 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.Top 10 things to know about the second edition of the physical activity guide for Americans.National Institutes of Health.Sample walking program.Wang X, Zhou Q, Zhang M, Zhang Q.Exercise in the park or gym? The physiological and mental responses of obese people walking in different settings at different speeds: A parallel group randomized trial.Front Psychol.2021;12. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.728826National Park Service.Hike smart.UCLA Health.Walk this way: How to make walking all the cardiovascular exercise you need.Harvard Health Publishing.Power up your walking routine.Harvard Health Publishing.Marching orders: How to start a walking program.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.Top 10 things to know about the second edition of the physical activity guide for Americans.National Institutes of Health.Sample walking program.Wang X, Zhou Q, Zhang M, Zhang Q.Exercise in the park or gym? The physiological and mental responses of obese people walking in different settings at different speeds: A parallel group randomized trial.Front Psychol.2021;12. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.728826National Park Service.Hike smart.UCLA Health.Walk this way: How to make walking all the cardiovascular exercise you need.Harvard Health Publishing.Power up your walking routine.Harvard Health Publishing.Marching orders: How to start a walking program.

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.Top 10 things to know about the second edition of the physical activity guide for Americans.

National Institutes of Health.Sample walking program.

Wang X, Zhou Q, Zhang M, Zhang Q.Exercise in the park or gym? The physiological and mental responses of obese people walking in different settings at different speeds: A parallel group randomized trial.Front Psychol.2021;12. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.728826

National Park Service.Hike smart.

UCLA Health.Walk this way: How to make walking all the cardiovascular exercise you need.

Harvard Health Publishing.Power up your walking routine.

Harvard Health Publishing.Marching orders: How to start a walking program.

Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

What is your feedback?