Beginner Walking Plan

You’ve decided to start walking for health and fitness, and now you need a beginner walking plan to improve your walking endurance and speed. As a beginner, you should focus on using good walking posture and technique while steadily increasing your walking time.

The health department recommends brisk walking for 30 minutes a day, for a total of 150 minutes a week, to reduce the health risks of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other diseases.

Overview

While any amount of walking is beneficial, you can expand the benefits by doubling the recommendations for a total of five hours of walking per week, or by speeding up the pace. If weight loss is your goal, then increasing duration or intensity is especially useful. Just remember that you also need to improve your diet in order to achieve the best results.

You can develop a walking habit by walking at least five days a week and tracking your walk. If you have ongoing health, talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise program.

Walking Schedule

Start each walk by checking your walking posture. Before accelerating, you need to walk at an easy speed for a few minutes. Wear flexible sneakers and comfortable clothes. You can walk outdoors, indoors or on a treadmill.

Week 1

Start with a 15-minute walk at an easy pace. Five days of walking in the first week. You want to make a habit, so consistency is important. Spread out your rest days, such as making the third day a rest day and the sixth day a rest day.

Weekly total goal: 60 to 75 minutes

Week 2

Add five minutes a day so you can walk 20 minutes five days a week. Or, you might want to extend your time on certain days and then take a day off.

Weekly total goal: 80 to 100 minutes

Week 3

Add five more minutes a day so you can walk 25 minutes five days a week.

Weekly total goal: 100 to 125 minutes

Week 4

5 minutes walk 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

Weekly total goal: 120 to 150 minutes

Tips

If you find any week difficult, repeat the week instead of adding more time. Do so until you are able to progress comfortably.

Once you’re able to walk comfortably for 30 minutes at a time, you’ll be able to use a variety of different workouts to increase your strength and endurance. Weekly walking exercise programs include high-intensity interval walks, speed-trained walks, and longer walks.

How Fast Should Beginner Walk?

Walkers should aim for a brisk walking speed for moderate-intensity walking exercises. This is the intensity of exercise associated with the optimal health benefits of beginner walking plan. Moderate intensity is usually associated with walking a mile in 20 minutes or less, with a target heart rate of 64 to 76 percent of the maximum heart rate.

What brisk walking feels like:

• Your breathing is heavier than usual.
• You will still be able to have a full conversation while walking.
• You don’t get out of breath.

If you have a slower pace and lower heart rate in the first few weeks, don’t worry. Your first goal is to be able to walk for 30 to 60 minutes a day without getting hurt. Later you will increase the speed and intensity. Before you try to go faster, stick to how long and how far you go.

You may find that using good walking posture and arm movements will make you walk faster.

If at any point during the walk you encounter difficulties, slow down further and return to the starting point. Be aware of warning symptoms such as heart attack or stroke, and seek medical assistance if necessary. For example, if your shortness of breath is accompanied by chest pain, dizziness, or upper body pain or numbness, you may be experiencing a heart attack.

To reduce the risk of injury, gradually increase the time or speed of walking, replacing only one part at a time.

Where to Go Next?

Once you’ve determined the time and speed of your walk, you’re ready to have some fun. You can train a 5km walk, which is 5km or 3.1 miles long. It’s a popular distance for charity walks and fun runs that take between 45 minutes and an hour to complete.

Once you walk for 30 minutes a day and 5 days a week, you can start training to enjoy these activities. You may also want to join a walking group or club so you can walk with others and be motivated to continue maintaining your new walking habits.