If you’re new to exercise in 2025, you don’t need to punish yourself with an unforgiving gym regime. You’re much more likely to stick with a routine if it’s easy, accessible and enjoyable. That’s where walking workouts can help.
This low-impact form of exercise can aid with everything from cardiovascular health to weight loss. You can do short 10-minute walking workouts as a kind of exercise snack or try longer 30-minute walking workouts, like the one below from trainer Olivia Lawson.
Lawson has included upper-body exercises in her latest 30-minute routine, which means you’ll get more bang for your buck, strengthening your arms and shoulders while also adding to your daily step count. Lawson wears a pair of light wrist weights to make the moves more effective, and while you don't need weights to feel the benefits, there are plenty of affordable options out there.
Shop wrist weights
How to do the workout
This is a follow-along routine, so just press play on the video. There’s a warm-up at the start and several stretching exercises at the end too, which will improve your flexibility.
What are the benefits of this walking workout?
Walking workouts boost your step count in a short space of time—and a higher step count brings lots of benefits. Research suggests that doing just 4,000 steps a day is enough to reduce the risk of premature death, but a greater number of steps will lower that risk further.
Lawson’s workout provides benefits beyond this as she includes elements of upper-body strength training. She only uses light weights but the repetitive nature of the movements means that they will test your muscular endurance.
Be prepared to do some single-leg work, too, which will test your balance. The moves are also synced to music, which tests your coordination while encouraging you to keep pace.
