You best start walking calmly, with short walks that you gradually expand week after week towards more movement. This way you keep it up longer and prevent your body from getting overloaded before you're properly underway. If you also want to keep walking on wet days, a walking pad for home is a nice addition, but the basis simply starts outside with a round through your neighborhood.
Why starting walking is so healthy
Starting walking is healthy because it's an accessible way to exercise at moderate intensity, without expensive equipment or a gym membership. You need little for it: good shoes and half an hour of time are enough to begin.
According to the exercise guidelines of the RIVM, at least two and a half hours of moderately intensive exercise per week is good for your health, and walking at a brisk pace counts fully towards that. Regular walking can contribute to better fitness, stronger muscles and joints and improved blood circulation.
You often notice a mental effect too: getting outside and moving helps to clear your head after a sedentary workday. In practice, many people notice that after a few weeks they start their day feeling fitter, although that differs per person.
How do you start walking as a beginner?
You start walking by starting small and calmly building up the distance. In the first week, walk short rounds of ten to fifteen minutes and pay attention to your breathing: you should still be able to talk easily while walking.
That talk test is a handy gauge for your pace. If you can still hold a conversation, you're at a good moderately intensive level; if you get out of breath, you're walking too fast for this phase.
Wear shoes that fit comfortably and adjust your clothing to the weather, so you don't suffer from blisters or getting cold. A fixed moment in your day, for example right after work or just before dinner, makes it just a bit easier to actually get out the door. If you skip a day, you simply pick it up again the next day.
A walking schedule for beginners
A walking schedule for beginners provides guidance and lets your fitness grow week after week. You clearly see progress per week, and that works motivating to keep going.
Many schedules work towards an hour of continuous walking in approximately eight weeks, alternating a brisk pace with calm walking. You start, for example, with three walks per week of around half an hour and extend the duration by a few minutes each time.
Take a rest day after every walking day and don't make up for a missed day, but pick up the thread again at the next training. The schedule is a guideline: if you don't feel well, feel free to skip a day. Once an hour in a row goes well, you can increase the pace slightly or work towards a longer distance.
How often per week do you go walking?
How often you go walking per week depends on your starting point, but for beginners two to three times is a pleasant start. This way you give your body enough time to recover while still building a fixed habit.
If you want to work towards two and a half hours of moderately intensive exercise per week, spread your walks over multiple days instead of cramming everything into one long trek. Short stretches count just as well: three walks of ten minutes together are also half an hour of movement.
That rest day in between is not a luxury but part of the build-up, because it's precisely during recovery that your body becomes stronger. Consistency weighs more heavily than distance, especially in the first weeks.
Common mistakes when starting walking
The most common mistake when starting walking is wanting too much too quickly. By immediately walking long distances out of enthusiasm or increasing the pace hard, overload can occur and injuries lie in wait.
Other pitfalls are not scheduling a rest day, walking on worn-out shoes and thinking in all or nothing. Comparing yourself with experienced walkers also works counterproductively, because everyone builds up at their own pace.
If you skip a day, that's not a failure: the next day you simply walk on and keep your routine intact. And don't ignore persistent pain, because that's a signal to take a step back instead of pushing through.
Walking indoors on a walking pad
Walking indoors on a walking pad keeps your routine intact when the weather is bad or your day is full. Especially in the first weeks, when the habit is still fragile, it helps not to be dependent on dry weather or daylight.
A foldable treadmill is easy to set up at home and slide aside afterwards. This way you walk a round during a phone call or an episode of your favorite series, and stay on track without having to leave the house.
In practice, we notice that home workers in particular benefit from this: a few short walking sessions spread over the day supplement the steps you would otherwise miss behind your desk. Outdoor walking doesn't have to give way for that; the two actually complement each other.
Keep walking: hold on to your new routine
Keep walking by making it a fixed part of your day and setting yourself small, achievable goals. A walking buddy, a schedule or simply tracking your steps helps to stay motivated, even on days when you don't feel like it.
If you also want to keep walking on busy or wet days, you can continue at home with a treadmill for home. Take your first steps today and continue building a habit you can maintain for years.
