The Best 7-Day Interval Walking Plan for Beginners

Walking is becoming the new running—and as a personal trainer and registered dietitian, I am here for this. Not only is walking one of the best forms of exercise you can do almost anywhere and without advanced experience or specialized equipment, but it’s also one of the easiest ways for individuals of all fitness levels to improve their health. In fact, walking helps to prevent chronic  diseases, like cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment and diabetes, while simultaneously improving well-being and mood.

For an added challenge, you can try interval walking, which is a great form of exercise that can be incorporated anywhere, anytime and at any fitness level. Read on for a seven-day interval walking plan plus beginner tips to help you get started.

Your Interval Walking Plan

The difference between walking and interval walking is that the latter varies in intensity, making your heart work harder as you switch between faster and slower speeds or go up and down hills. This increases your cardiovascular fitness without you ever having to break into a run.

Chrissy Carroll, M.S., RDN, CPT, a personal trainer and running coach, is a proponent of this type of training. She says, “This type of exercise can improve cardiovascular fitness, boost mood and reduce the risk of chronic health conditions. In addition, interval walking provides an easy way to increase the intensity of workouts to enhance endurance capacity. This can be a helpful alternative for folks that have joint issues that preclude running, or simply don’t want to run.”

There’s no hard-and-fast rule on what constitutes an interval walking session, but a recent study defined it as walking sessions of 30 minutes or longer that alternate between three minutes of fast walking and three minutes of slow walking, repeated five times each. Typically, interval walking programs are repeated at least four or five days a week.

Don’t let these numbers deter you if you’re not quite there yet with your fitness level. Carroll points out, “Even small bouts of interval walking can still lead to improved mood and reduced risks of certain health problems.” In fact, a recent study estimated that 110,000 deaths could be prevented if adults increased their activity by just 10 minutes a day.

Walking Interval Day 1

• Warm-Up Walk: 5 minutes
• Interval Speed Walk*: Total = 15 minutes 
• Repeat 3 times:
• 2 minutes moderate pace
• 1 minute fast pace
• 2 minutes easy pace
• Cool-Down Walk: 5 minutes 

*With the speed walk, alternate the pace of your walk on a flat surface . A moderate pace is when you can still carry on a conversation though it’s a bit more challenging, whereas the fast pace is when you are nearly out of breath. 

Walking Interval Day 2

• Warm-Up Walk: 5 minutes
• Interval-Ladder Walk*: Total = 18 minutes
• 1 minute moderate pace, 1 minute easy pace
• 2 minutes moderate pace, 2 minutes easy pace
• 3 minutes moderate pace, 3 minutes easy pace
• 2 minutes moderate pace, 2 minutes easy pace
• 1 minute moderate pace, 1 minute easy pace
• Cool-Down Walk: 5 minutes 

*A ladder-style walk will gradually increase the length of your intervals until you peak at 3 minutes, and then return back to the 1-minute mark. Focus on achieving a moderate pace for the initial time, which is when it becomes more challenging to carry a conversational pace, and then back down to the easier pace for the latter portion of this interval. Depending on your fitness level, you can do this ladder on a flat surface, initially, then gradually work your way up to a hill workout.

Walking Interval Day 3

• Leisure Walk: 20 to 30 minutes*

*Walk at a comfortable pace that would allow you to carry a conversation with a friend or sing a song.

Walking Interval Day 4

• Warm-Up Walk: 5 minutes
• Interval Hill Walk*: Total = 16 minutes
• Repeat 8 times:
• 1 minute uphill walk, moderate pace
• 1 minute downhill walk, easy pace
• Cool-Down Walk: 5 minutes 

*Find a hill nearby. This could be on a road, in a park or on a trail. Alternatively, if stairs are available and you don’t have knee problems, you could incorporate this too.

Walking Interval Day 5

• Warm-Up Walk: 5 minutes
• Interval Speed Walk: Total = 18 minutes*
• Repeat 3 times:
• 3 minutes fast pace
• 3 minutes moderate pace
• Cool-Down Walk: 5 minutes 

*With the speed walk, alternate the pace of your walk on a flat surface. A moderate pace is when you can still carry on a conversation though it’s a bit more challenging, whereas the fast pace is when you are nearly out of breath.

Walking Interval Day 6

• Leisure Walk: 20 to 30 minutes*

*Walk at a comfortable pace that would allow you to carry a conversation with a friend or sing a song.

Walking Interval Day 7

• Warm-Up Walk: 5 minutes
• Interval Speed Walk*: 20 minutes 
• Repeat 10 times:
• 1 minute moderate pace
• 30 seconds fast pace
• 30 seconds easy pace
• Cool-Down Walk: 5 minutes 

*With the speed walk, alternate the pace of your walk on a flat surface. A moderate pace is when you can still carry on a conversation though it’s a bit more challenging, whereas the fast pace is when you are nearly out of breath. As your cardiovascular fitness increases, you can work your way up to making this a hill workout.

More Tips for Beginners

Beginning any new program, walking included, requires commitment. The beauty of this commitment is that you are doing this for yourself, without any added expenses and on your own time. Keep these tips in mind to help make the most out of your interval walking program.

• Listen to Your Body: The key to any fitness program being successful is listening to your body. There will be days you can give more and days you need to back off. Tuning in to your body is important to avoid injury and make the program enjoyable.
• Wear Comfortable Shoes: To make your walks more comfortable, invest in a good pair of walking shoes. Carroll adds, “Investing in a good pair of sneakers will support your feet as you ramp up your walking routine. A good rule of thumb is to replace sneakers every 300 to 500 miles. If you can’t remember the last time you’ve replaced your sneakers, it’s probably a good time to grab a new pair.”
• Hydrate: Beginning any new fitness program requires you to stay well hydrated. Carrying a reusable water bottle and sipping on it throughout your day is important, especially during warmer months.
• Make an Upbeat Playlist: Music is a wonderful way to get your endorphins flowing and energy up as you begin your interval walking program.
• Enlist a Friend: The buddy system works great for workouts to keep you accountable and have fun. Grab your neighbor, a co-worker or your partner and get moving together.
• Focus on Consistency, Not Perfection. Carroll encourages you to not let hiccups bump you off course. She says, “Did you get held up at work and now you only have 20 minutes instead of 30 minutes to walk? Get out there and do a condensed version of the workout! There will always be bumps in the road on a fitness journey. When you show up imperfectly through those, you’ll find yourself sticking to your routine and increasing your motivation to continue.”

Our Expert Take

Interval walking is an excellent form of exercise for people of all fitness levels. When starting a new fitness program, remember to start slow, listen to your body and aim for consistency over perfection. All you need to do now is lace up and get started!