When you commute to an office or have young children, it’s easy enough to clock up some steps before your 9-5 even begins. Yet when you work from home or take retirement, your daily movement can often take a back seat.
If you want to add more steps to your daily routine there is a simple solution. Jules is a senior fitness instructor who runs the YouTube channel Improved Health. She has created a 20-minute low-impact walking workout designed specifically for seniors and fitness beginners. This workout helps you increase your step count safely from the comfort of your home. The routine is accessible and requires no special equipment. You can follow along at your own pace without worrying about high-intensity movements or complicated exercises. Jules focuses on gentle movements that protect your joints while still giving you an effective workout. This type of walking workout is perfect for people who want to stay active but need something less demanding than traditional exercise programs. You don’t need to leave your house or deal with weather conditions. The workout fits easily into your schedule & takes less than half an hour to complete. Whether you are just starting your fitness journey or looking for a gentler way to stay active this walking workout offers a practical approach. It helps you build consistency and confidence while working toward your health goals.
How to do the 20-minute walking workout
This 20-minute at-home session kicks off with a quick warm-up to help you get the blood pumping to your muscles, before heading straight into the walking workout.
Jules has organized this session into 20 seconds of moving work followed by 10 seconds of walking. The moving segments still involve walking but they require you to move from your spot. For example you might alternate tapping your feet front & back or stepping from side to side while doing an arm reach or walking forward and backward to your starting position. The walking sessions will have you walk on the spot. According to Jules this approach will help boost your health and energy and longevity. This all-standing low-impact routine is easy on the joints and designed to help you stay active and strong and independent she adds. However if you prefer and your energy and fitness levels allow you can try completing moving work for the full 30 seconds to keep your heart rate high. Another great thing about this workout is that its background music has 116-117 BPM. This means if you stick to the beat you will be able to complete 2176 steps within 20 minutes.
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The benefits of this 20-minute walking workout
A multitude of benefits come from completing this 20-minute walking workout.
Walking for just 30 minutes a day can help with weight loss & strengthen your bones and boost your step count. This is especially true when you pair it with a healthy diet. If you did this workout twice in one day like once in the morning and again after lunch or before dinner you could improve your overall health even more. Jules says that completing this session can help you improve circulation and strengthen your heart and enhance mobility with simple moves that feel good and anyone can do. The best part is that it’s free & accessible to everyone. A 2023 article examined the many benefits of walking for healthy aging. The research showed that walking whether done inside or outside decreases the risk or severity of various health problems. These include cardiovascular & cerebrovascular diseases which are conditions that affect blood flow to your brain. Walking also helps with type 2 diabetes and cognitive impairment and dementia. It improves mental wellbeing & sleep & longevity too. The researchers concluded that incorporating walking into daily routines & encouraging walking-based physical activity programs can be an effective strategy for promoting healthy aging and improving health outcomes in all populations.
