Long winter nights and bad weather make it harder to stay active outdoors, so it pays to have a bank of quick and accessible indoor walking workouts to fall back on—workouts like this 10-minute session from fitness trainer April Hattori.
Hattori, the founder of Yes2Next—an active aging fitness platform she runs alongside her 83-year-old mom Aiko—regularly shares workouts they complete side by side.
This high-intensity interval training (HIIT) walking session alternates between slow, one-minute walking intervals with faster 30-second speed-walking bursts. They repeat this interval seven times, clocking up 1,200 steps in just under 10 minutes.
Hattori says this workout will increase endurance and help you burn more calories than if you were walking at a steady-state walking speed. "Not only does this workout provide a gentle yet effective way to strengthen your heart and lungs, but it also helps improve overall stamina," the PT adds.
To experience the many benefits of walking yourself, lace up your trainers and try this quick workout.
Watch how to do this 10-minute 1,200-step walking workout
Benefits of HIIT
HIIT workouts alternate between short bursts of intense activity and recovery periods, making it a versatile and efficient workout style. Hattori's HIIT walking workout proves how you can tap into the benefits of a HIIT session using just your bodyweight and enough space to move backward and forward.
One of HIIT’s biggest draws is its time efficiency. According to a review published in the Journal of Physiology, even low-volume HIIT sessions lasting just four minutes can significantly improve cardiovascular fitness, blood pressure and blood glucose levels.
To achieve this, however, your heart rate should rise to between 80% and 100% of your maximum heart rate during the high-intensity periods. The easiest way to know if you are in the right heart rate zone is to wear a heart rate monitor that will show your heart rate in real-time through its app. There are plenty of options, but we recommend the Polar Verity Sense, which is accurate, easy to use and comfortable.
