Forget 10,000 steps — I use this 30-minute, doctor-approved walking workout to build fitness, burn calories and work on my heart health

For years, 10,000 daily steps has dominated the conversation when it comes to daily movement goals, but new research has found that interval walking, where you mix short bursts of high intensity with recovery, actually has more health benefits.

Sports Medicine doctor, Tetiana Tereschenko, who works at the walking app WalkFit, says: "We know that 10,000 daily steps can often feel unreachable for most people, but research proves that this target isn’t necessarily the only path to better health. In fact, studies suggest that mortality risk already begins to decline when simply increasing daily steps from 4,400 to 7,500.

"Faster walking increases the body’s physiological response and has a training effect, meaning that a shorter brisk walk can deliver more benefits than a longer but leisurely one," Tereschenko adds.

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You might have heard of the popular 12-3-30 walking workout, but below, I’ve shared my 30-minute interval walking session. When performed regularly, this can help build aerobic fitness and cardiovascular health, as well as lower blood pressure. You’ll also find you burn more calories during an interval session, and, when paired with a healthy, balanced diet, this can help you lose weight and get in shape.

If you are walking for weight loss, one of the best ways to do so is to strap one of the best fitness trackers to your wrist. To lose weight, you’ll need to burn more calories than you consume, so keeping an eye on your calorie expenditure using your fitness tracker is a good place to start.

As a reminder, if you’re a complete beginner, returning to exercise following an extended break, or you’re currently dealing with an injury, it’s always best to seek personalized advice from a medical professional.

What is the workout?

All you’ll need for this interval workout is a pair of comfortable sneakers (check out the best running shoes here) and something to time yourself on. If you have one of the best Apple watches or best Garmin watches, you can build an interval session as a workout on the watch, so it’ll buzz every time you need to change pace.

The workout will take 30 minutes in total, but if you don’t have that long or you’re a beginner and 30 minutes feels like too big a challenge right now, reduce the number of times you repeat the circuit.

Remember when walking to think about your form — keep your core engaged, sucking your belly button into your spine, and stay upright. Use your arms to drive you forward, swinging them as you go. Don’t overstride, as this can lead to injuries — think about keeping your legs underneath your body, and take short, fast steps.

Here’s the workout:

• 3 minutes: Easy pace. This should be a 3/10 effort; you should be able to easily hold a conversation. You’re still walking with purpose, but you could carry on walking at this pace for an hour.
• 2 minutes: Power walk. This should be a 5/10 effort. Imagine you’re rushing for the bus. Swing your arms to drive you forward.
• 1 minute: Maximum walking effort. This is a hard effort. You’re moving as fast as you can go without breaking into a jog. You’d probably struggle to hold a conversation at this pace.

Repeat this circuit 5 times for a 30-minute workout.

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