With the darker days and colder nights, the winter months can make heading outside to clock up some steps look less and less appealing. But that’s where indoor walking workouts can help you turn your home into your very own cardio studio.
Indoor walking workouts are essentially walking workouts designed to be done at home. So you won’t need to waste precious time traveling to a gym to get your steps in, or brave the outdoor elements.
Instead, you’ll just need a good pair of walking trainers to help support your body as you step and one of the best fitness trackers to help count your steps. If you’re keen to fit some movement into your day, check out this 20-minute indoor speed walking workout led by trainer Rick Bhullar from Get Fit with Rick.
The professional dancer turned personal trainer’s workout will help you rack up around 3,000 steps in 20 minutes. So while this might be a walking workout, it’s no walk in the park. “It's a high-energy, fat-blasting session that will get your heart racing,” Bhullar explains.
Watch Get Fit with Rick’s 20-minute indoor walking workout
Beginner-friendly, joint-friendly and entirely low-impact, this speed session is a quick way to add 3,000 steps to your count. Bhullar does the session with you and takes you through a range of ‘walking’ variations.
For example, there’s a quick marching session that will see you step to the beat, there are step touches that will see you move from side to side, and toe taps where you’ll be standing still, bringing each leg forward in time to the music.
“Who needs a gym when you can have a full-blown cardio workout at home?” the PT says. “This fast walking workout is designed to suit your lifestyle, fit into your schedule, and boost your fitness journey.”
Throughout the 20-minute session, Bhullar keeps the step count on the screen. The idea is to stick to the beat so you clock up the maximum amount of steps. Bhullar also recommends using your arms as you move, as this will help with your form and help track the amount of steps correctly.
Are indoor walking workouts effective?
They absolutely can be. In fact, according to an article published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, walking just 3,867 steps has been proven to help you lead a healthier life, while significantly reducing the risk of mortality from any cause.
But walking doesn’t just equate to physical benefits. Research published in the Primary Care Companion to The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry has shown that exercise of all kinds can help to boost your mood and alleviate feelings of anxiety while helping with self-esteem and cognitive function.
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