As with all general guidance about doing something fitness related for the first time, if you think that you might be making a much stronger effort than you’re used to, by increasing your speed or if you’re uncertain about the overall state of your health, consult your doctor to be sure you’re OK to increase your speed and add intensity to your workout routine.
DAILY WALK SCHEDULE
How to use this schedule
This ‘daily’ walk schedule gives you a walking workout on six out of seven days in the week, with Sunday being a complete rest day, although you can go for a really easy ‘recovery walk’ on Sunday if you wish.
Because you’re walking every day, it’s important to get a measure of your exertion and to manage your effort over the whole six days. Don’t go out guns blazing on Monday only to fizzle out by Friday! It’s far better to start off walking more easily than you’re capable of, then you can increase your effort gradually until you find your right level.
If you start to feel strain or soreness in your muscles, it could be because of the schedule, so it’s worth switching to the ‘Standard’ schedule, at least for a while.
We recommend plotting your training and recovery days in a digital calendar on your phone or computer for easy reference. Use this schedule as your template and then plot out your individual sessions, with distance and pace targets based on your level and training objectives.
MONDAY
Warm Up
Walk at a medium pace for about 10 minutes without pushing hard, to allow you to warm up
Training
Session distance – up to 5km/3 miles depending on your level, training objective or experience.
Action
Walk on firm paths, pavements or roads at a strong but comfortable pace and with a high Cadence, for the full distance. Try to walk only on firm surfaces, so that you can get good traction and perform a good technique.
Keep walking for the full duration and focus on holding your strong pace, so that you get a really good workout.
TUESDAY
Warm Up
Walk at a medium pace for about 10 minutes without pushing hard, to allow you to warm up
Training
Session distance – up to 5km/3 miles depending on your level, training objective or experience.
Action
Walk on firm paths, pavements or roads at a strong but comfortable pace and with a high Cadence, for the full distance. Try to walk only on firm surfaces, so that you can get good traction and perform a good technique.
Keep walking for the full duration and focus on holding your strong pace, so that you get a really good workout.
Core Work – The Plank
Perform up to three sets of the Plank, holding for 1 minute or as long as you can for up to 1 minute.
WEDNESDAY
Warm Up
Walk at a medium pace for about 10 minutes without pushing hard, to allow you to warm up
Training
Session distance – up to 5km/3 miles depending on your level, training objective or experience.
Action
Walk on firm paths, pavements or roads at a strong but comfortable pace and with a high Cadence, for the full distance. Try to walk only on firm surfaces, so that you can get good traction and perform a good technique.
Keep walking for the full duration and focus on holding your strong pace, so that you get a really good workout.
THURSDAY
Warm Up
Walk at a medium pace for about 10 minutes without pushing hard, to allow you to warm up
Training
Session distance – up to 5km/3 miles depending on your level, training objective or experience.
Action
Walk on firm paths, pavements or roads at a strong but comfortable pace and with a high Cadence, for the full distance. Try to walk only on firm surfaces, so that you can get good traction and perform a good technique.
Keep walking for the full duration and focus on holding your strong pace, so that you get a really good workout.
Core Work – ‘Pilates Sit Ups’
To perform this move, lie on the floor with your legs bent and arms straight beside your hips. Your feet should be just resting on the floor, not hooked under a bar, seat or other heavy object. This is so that you perform the move correctly and get the most out of it.
Slowly curl your upper body forwards and up into a sit-up position, keeping your arms straight beside your hips to act as a counter balance. Use your stomach muscles to stop your feet from rising off the floor.
Rise up until your back is at approx 45 degrees to the floor, don’t rise up completely so that your back becomes vertical. You do this to maintain the greatest stress on your core to build strength.
Once you’ve risen up to a ‘leant back’ sitting position, with your back at 45 degrees to the floor, hold this position while you count to ten and then slowly lower back down again. You might find this to be very difficult and your core and stomach muscles might hurt while you’re holding the move at the top position but it will become easier the more you do it. Repeat this move up to three times in a set (depending on what you’re able to hold) and perform up to three sets.
FRIDAY – TRAINING DAY
Warm Up
Walk at a medium pace for about 10 minutes without pushing hard, to allow you to warm up
Training
Session distance – up to 5km/3 miles depending on your level, training objective or experience.
Action
Walk on firm paths, pavements or roads at a strong but comfortable pace and with a high Cadence, for the full distance. Try to walk only on firm surfaces, so that you can get good traction and perform a good technique.
Keep walking for the full duration and focus on holding your strong pace, so that you get a really good workout.
SATURDAY
This is your longer walk for the week. Try to go somewhere inspiring, where you can enjoy the landscape and, also, where the terrain will test you more than during your weekday walks. Think of this walk as your reward for the work you put in during the week and, also, an opportunity to put everything into practice out on the trail.
Warm Up
Walk at a medium pace for about 10 minutes without pushing hard, to allow you to warm up
Training
Main Session Distance – up to 16km/10 miles depending on your level, training objective or experience.
Action
Go walking on trails if possible in an inspiring location or at least in nature. This is a normal workout walking session, so try and get your technique elements all working well during your walk but don’t fixate on them. Just walk strongly and enjoy! Try to build some hills into your route if you can and push hard while you ascend, then keep walking at the top and recover as you carry on.
SUNDAY– REST
If you want to walk today, make it short and really easy and make no real effort. It’s better though if you can have a full rest day, rather than walking, so that you’re fresh to restart next week but try to stay active in other ways
You can either use this walk schedule as your fixed routine or alternate it with the ‘Four Day Walk Schedule’ or the ‘Alternate Day Schedule’ to give you variety. Bookmark this page for easy reference.