Plan description
Health guidelines ask adults for 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. Five 30-minute brisk walks do it.
Brisk means you can still talk, but you could not sing.
Walking helps, but food decides most of your weight. Eat a little less, and walk.
Walk to lose weight overview
This plan runs for 8 weeks, 5 sessions a week.
Walk easy for the first and last few minutes. Walk brisk in the middle.
The eight weeks
| Week | Each walk | Walks | Week total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 min | 5 | 50 min |
| 2 | 12 min | 5 | 60 min |
| 3 | 15 min | 5 | 75 min |
| 4 | 18 min | 5 | 90 min |
| 5 | 20 min | 5 | 100 min |
| 6 | 24 min | 5 | 120 min |
| 7 | 27 min | 5 | 135 min |
| 8 | 30 min | 5 | 150 min |
The rules
- Pick a time and keep it. After lunch or after work works for most people.
- Short on time? Two 15-minute walks count the same as one 30.
- Weigh yourself once a week, same day, same time.
- Bad weather? Walk indoors: stairs, a shopping centre or mall, or march in place.
- Done week 8? Add hills, or walk a little faster.
After week 8
Keep your five walks. Then pick your next step.
| Next step | What it is |
|---|---|
| Lose fat, keep muscle (Pro) | Add two short strength days to your walks. |
| Run your first 5K | Ready to run? Nine weeks, three runs a week. |
When to stop
Dizzy, faint, sick, chest pain, very short of breath, or a racing heart.
Call emergency services for: chest pain that does not stop with rest, or spreads to your arm, jaw or back.
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor before you start.
Based on 2 sources
- WHO's weekly exercise targets for every age groupGuidance · 2020 · Br J Sports Med
- Physical activity fact sheet2024 · who.int
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