Uncover the Best Way on How to Start Walking Exercise

Walking is one of the simplest ways to get fitter, lose weight, and boost your mood, yet figuring out how to start walking exercise can still feel a bit overwhelming. The good news is that you do not need fancy gear, long workouts, or an athletic background. You only need a safe plan that starts exactly where you are right now.

Below, you will learn how to start walking exercise in a way that feels realistic, safe, and motivating, even if you have not worked out in years.

Understand why walking is a powerful first step

Before you lace up your shoes, it helps to know why walking is worth your time. Walking is a low impact cardio workout, which means it is easier on your joints than running, yet it still improves your heart health, helps manage weight, and supports your mental well being. Health authorities commonly recommend about 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity activity like brisk walking to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other conditions (Verywell Fit, NHS).

You can break that down into small, manageable chunks. For example, a brisk 10 minute daily walk already provides meaningful health benefits and counts toward that weekly total (NHS). If 10 minutes feels like a stretch today, you can start with less and build from there.

Set a realistic starting point

If you are wondering how to start walking exercise without burning out or getting injured, think smaller than you probably are right now. Your first goal is simply to make walking a regular part of your week, not to hit a certain distance or calorie burn.

Start with what feels easy

Personal trainers often suggest starting with very short walks, such as to the mailbox and back, then slowly increasing your pace and distance over time (UNC Health). In practical terms, this might look like:

Walking for 5 to 10 minutes at a comfortable pace
Stopping before you feel wiped out
Repeating that most days of the week

A beginner friendly guideline is to walk every other day at first. This gives your muscles and joints a chance to recover and reduces your risk of soreness or injury. Over time, you can aim for three to four walking days most weeks, which keeps you consistent without feeling like your schedule revolves around exercise (UNC Health).

Use a simple four week structure

If you like a clear plan, you can follow a basic four week progression inspired by beginner walking schedules (Verywell Fit):

Week 1: 15 minutes of easy walking, 5 days a week
Week 2: 20 minutes, 5 days a week
Week 3: 25 minutes, 5 days a week
Week 4: 30 minutes, 5 days a week

If any week feels too hard, simply repeat it until that amount of walking feels comfortable. This is not a race. You will get better results by increasing slowly and safely than by pushing too hard and needing to stop entirely.

Choose the right pace for your body

Knowing how to start walking exercise is not just about how long you walk. How fast you walk matters too. Different paces deliver different benefits, but you do not need to overcomplicate this.

Find your comfortable and brisk paces

Most experts describe a brisk walking pace as one where you can talk but not sing, and you might feel slightly out of breath (NHS, Better Health Victoria). For many people this is around 3 miles per hour, or roughly a 20 minute mile, but your exact pace will depend on your fitness level.

When you are just beginning:

Start with a pace where you can hold a full conversation easily
After a few minutes of warming up, you can gradually increase your speed if it feels good
Aim to reach that talk but not sing level during the middle of your walk for at least a few minutes

If you enjoy tracking numbers, the free Active 10 app can help you monitor your walking time and speed so you can see your progress and stay in that brisk zone (NHS).

Try gentle intervals as you improve

Once your comfortable pace feels almost too easy, you can begin to play with short bursts of faster walking, often called intervals. Medical News Today suggests warming up at an easy pace for 5 to 10 minutes, then adding 10 to 15 second bursts of power walking at an uncomfortable but sustainable pace, followed by a slower recovery segment. Over time, you can gradually increase the length of these faster intervals as your fitness improves (Medical News Today).

Even small changes in speed can make a real difference. Research highlighted by Women’s Health found that mixing faster and slower walking can burn up to 20 percent more calories compared to staying at a steady pace (Women’s Health).

Gear up with simple, safe basics

You do not need expensive equipment to start walking, but a few basics will keep you comfortable and reduce your risk of aches and blisters.

Pick supportive shoes and comfortable clothes

Supportive shoes are your top priority. Look for a pair that:

Fits well with room in the toe box
Has decent heel and arch support
Does not rub or create hot spots

Both the NHS and Better Health Victoria emphasize that comfortable shoes or trainers that provide support and do not cause blisters are essential, especially if you plan longer walks. They also suggest choosing softer surfaces like grass when possible to help prevent foot and shin pain, particularly when you are just starting out (NHS, Better Health Victoria).

Pair your shoes with flexible athletic clothing that lets you move freely. You do not need anything technical; just avoid restrictive fabrics that chafe or hold sweat.

Carry simple essentials for longer walks

If your walks extend beyond 20 to 30 minutes, a small backpack can make things more comfortable. The NHS recommends bringing:

Water
A light, spare top
Sunscreen and a sun hat
A small snack for longer outings (NHS)

You can adjust this list based on weather and distance. For walks of 60 minutes or more, it helps to refuel afterward with a snack that has roughly a three to one ratio of carbohydrates to protein, such as a banana with nut butter or whole grain toast with avocado, to replenish energy stores (Women’s Health).

Warm up, cool down, and walk with good form

A short warm up and cool down will make your walks feel better and help you avoid stiffness the next day.

Ease into and out of each walk

Begin each session with a few minutes at a slower pace to let your muscles warm up. Better Health Victoria suggests starting at a slow pace and ending with gentle stretches of your calves and thigh muscles for about 20 seconds each to limit injury and muscle stiffness (Better Health Victoria).

You can keep this simple:

Walk slowly for 3 to 5 minutes
Transition into your usual pace or intervals
Slow back down for the last 3 to 5 minutes
Stretch your lower body after you stop

Pay attention to posture

Good walking posture protects your back and joints and also makes walking feel easier. When you walk, try to:

Stay tall and upright rather than leaning far forward or backward
Keep your shoulders relaxed, not hunched toward your ears
Gently engage your core as if you are zipping up snug jeans
Look ahead of you, not down at your feet

Medical News Today notes that maintaining this tall posture is especially important when walking uphill or downhill so you can strengthen muscles without straining them (Medical News Today).

Stay safe while you build your new habit

Safety might not be the most exciting part of how to start walking exercise, but it matters. A few simple precautions will help you feel more confident every time you go out.

UNC Health recommends that you:

Wear supportive shoes to reduce injury risk
Stay aware of your surroundings
Tell someone where you are walking and when you expect to be back if you go alone
Keep your music or podcast volume low enough to hear traffic and people around you
Talk with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine if you have health concerns (UNC Health)

If you experience chest pain, dizziness, unusual shortness of breath, or joint pain that does not ease with rest, you should stop and check in with a healthcare professional before continuing your walking plan.

If any particular week or distance feels too difficult, it is completely acceptable to repeat that week instead of pushing ahead. Changing only one factor at a time, such as either distance or speed, helps lower your risk of injury and keeps your progress sustainable (Verywell Fit).

Use simple tools and tweaks to support weight loss

If weight loss is one of your goals, walking can absolutely help, especially when you combine it with consistent habits and a slightly brisker pace.

Walk at a fat burning intensity

To walk for weight loss, many experts suggest staying at a brisk pace where talking is possible but singing is difficult. This usually means you can say a few words but need to pause for breath before finishing a full sentence, which personal trainer Chris Freytag notes is a good sign that you are in a strong fat burning zone (Women’s Health, Medical News Today).

You can keep track of this intensity using:

A pace app like Active 10
A fitness tracker or smartwatch that monitors your heart rate
The simple talk test, which does not require any technology

If longer walks feel daunting, a 2019 study discussed by Medical News Today found that two shorter 25 minute walks in a day led to more weight loss for women than one single 50 minute walk, which means splitting your time can work just as well, or even better, for your goals (Medical News Today).

Consider step counts or pedometers

Wearing a pedometer or step tracker is a straightforward way to increase your daily movement. Better Health Victoria notes that tracking steps can be motivating and that achieving around 10,000 steps or more per day is often recommended for health benefits, although your personal target can be lower when you are just starting out (Better Health Victoria).

You can begin by simply tracking your normal day, then gradually adding 500 to 1,000 extra steps every week. Over time, these extra steps add up to more calories burned and better fitness.

Add strength and variety to keep it interesting

Walking on its own is great, but adding a bit of strength training and variety can help you feel stronger and avoid boredom.

Mix in simple strength moves

Twice a week, you can include bodyweight exercises before, after, or even during your walk. UNC Health and Medical News Today both highlight that strength training complements walking by improving bone density, joint support, and overall strength (UNC Health, Medical News Today). Examples include:

Wall or counter pushups
Chair stands or squats to a bench
Step ups on a low curb or sturdy step
Gentle lunges using a railing or tree for balance

You can sprinkle these into your route by using park benches or outdoor fitness stations if your local area has them.

Keep motivation high with small changes

To stay motivated over the long term, small tweaks make a big difference. The NHS suggests:

Building walking into your daily routines, such as walking part of your commute
Listening to music or podcasts to make the time pass more quickly
Using apps like Active 10 to set goals and track your progress
Varying your routes to explore new neighborhoods or local parks
Joining a walking group for company and accountability (NHS)

If joint issues make walking difficult on some days, water based exercise classes or at home fitness videos can be good alternatives or additions so you still get movement without extra strain (NHS).

Bring it all together

Learning how to start walking exercise does not require a perfect plan. It simply requires a first step and a gentle commitment to keep going. Begin with short, easy walks in supportive shoes, use the talk test to guide your pace, and build up slowly to about 30 minutes most days of the week.

Along the way, pay attention to your posture, include simple warm ups and stretches, and listen to your body when it needs rest. Over time, you can add brisk intervals, track your steps, and weave in basic strength moves. Each of these small changes supports better health and, if you want it, gradual and sustainable weight loss.

You do not need to change everything at once. Pick one idea from this guide, such as a 10 minute walk after lunch or a gentle evening loop around your block, and start there today.