With the start of the new year, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by unrealistic goals and fitness trends.
But you don’t need to follow those fads. Research shows that even a short amount of walking — one of the most accessible forms of exercise — can help set you up for success when working toward other fitness achievements.
Research shows that 11 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per day may lower your risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease or premature death. Does that sound like too much to start? Even as little as five minutes of walking per day could provide some health benefits, according to Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver.
Just getting started
Freeman recommends aiming for 30 minutes of daily exercise, ideally brisk walking paired with weightlifting to create a high-intensity training program. But he said he knows that a structured workout of that length isn’t always feasible, especially for those in the early stages of their fitness journey.
The key is to make movement a regular part of your day, which is why Freeman suggests people engage in any form of exercise, even if it’s incorporating a five-minute walk into your routine.
Katy Milkman, James G. Dinan Professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, explains that making bite-size goals is essential for creating momentum for larger resolutions.
Psychologically, smaller tasks are easier to achieve, so pushing yourself to take a five-minute daily walk is easier than trying to complete a 35-minute walk once, Milkman said.
Even with a five-minute walk, the most important part of any fitness goal, according to Freeman, is finding time to weave it into your daily routine, which is why it’s important to start small and focus on simplicity.
For some, doing so might be as basic as parking farther away when heading to the gym or mall to increase your step count. If you’re in a parking garage, it can also be a good idea to take the stairs to increase your heart rate, Freeman said.
When making plans, CNN fitness contributor Dana Santas, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach in professional sports, suggests asking friends to go for a walk instead of meeting for dinner or drinks.
Freeman also recommends completing your quick walk — or whatever form of exercise brings you joy — first thing in the morning to start your day with positive movement. And for coffee lovers, Freeman said a walk can energize you just as effectively as one cup of your favorite brew.
When it comes to forming a new routine, it’s important not to make excuses, especially when trying to get steps in during the winter months.
“Most malls open their doors early (before the actual stores open) to let walkers get their steps in by doing laps around the interior levels of the mall,” Santas said via email.
Walking isn’t just good for your body; it’s also great for your mental well-being. Not only can it help break addictions such as smoking, Freeman said, but a walk can also help reduce anxiety and depression, especially for people who might be dealing with grief.
While the holiday season is over, walking is also a good way to decompress from family gatherings and celebration stressors.
Building on your routine
As confidence in your walking routine grows, you should aim to increase the intensity and length of your workout. Freeman suggests focusing on exercises that make you “huff and puff” for the most noticeable health benefits.
“You see these people (at the gym) do a couple of reps, chat, take a rest and have a drink,” Freeman said. “You really want to keep going for 20 or 30 minutes straight.”
Combining weight training and cardio is a beneficial way to include both elements in your daily routine.
Based on how the activities work different parts of your body, Freeman said he likes to explain cardio as a short-term investment in your health, while weight training is a long-term one because of how metabolically active people’s muscles are.
To include weight training on your walk, Freeman recommends eventually adding a weighted backpack to your routine. If you want to keep it simple, use any backpack you have at home, and fill it with old books to load it down.
Other ideas might include wearing wrist, arm, shoulder, ankle or leg weights to create resistance for an additional challenge.
“If (people) can keep this (routine) up for usually two to three weeks, it becomes a habit (they) want to keep doing,” Freeman said.
Like any other form of exercise, taking the time to practice and perfect your walking form can improve the safety and efficacy of your workouts, according to Santas, and it’s a simple way to challenge yourself.
For people who want to incorporate longer walks into their daily or weekly routine, Freeman recommends walking with others to make the experience more enjoyable.
If you don’t have people in your corner to join you, programs such as Walk With a Doc offer free community walks guided by physicians to create a casual and supportive environment for people to work on their healthy habits together.
Solo exercisers might find personal motivation with an engaging podcast or audiobook as well as a guided meditation to make their walks feel effortless.
“If you get really into a story … you could probably walk an entire park, end up right where you started, and not even know you did it,” Freeman said.
It’s important to remember that the smaller the commitment, the more likely you are to follow through, Milkman said. As you add more to your routine, start slow and think about where you might be able to squeeze some quick yet beneficial movements into your practice.
For those just starting to incorporate more exercise into their routine, it’s all about sitting less and moving more. Some workouts can even be completed from the comfort of your couch while watching an episode of your favorite TV show, Santas said via email.
Are you ready to do more? Sign up for our LBB Fitness newsletter for more ideas to incorporate movement in 2025. If you need help setting and sustaining your fitness goals, try these tips for building habits.
