I asked a podiatrist how people with balance issues should approach walking workouts—he suggested this 30-minute treadmill routine

Walking is rightly hailed as an accessible and effective type of exercise, but that doesn’t mean everyone finds walking easy to do.

For instance, walking outdoors can be scary if you’re unsteady on your feet. That’s where a treadmill can come into its own, according to Dr Mikel Daniels, the president and chief medical officer at WeTreatFeet Podiatry.

Daniels told me that the treadmill is clearly the better place to start walking for those with neuropathy who can’t reliably feel the ground, patients with a history of ankle sprains or poor balance, and people recovering from surgery who need a predictable footing and easy access to a handrail.

“In these cases, the smooth belt, climate control, and the ability to stop instantly make treadmill walking safer and more sustainable,” he says.

To help people with those conditions get started, Daniels has put together a treadmill walking workout exclusively for Fit&Well readers.

He’s supplied a range of speeds for each section so you can adjust the workout to suit your ability.

He suggests that if you have diabetes, neuropathy, balance issues, or a history of foot and ankle problems, you should start at the lower end of the speed ranges and hold on to the rails on the treadmill as needed.

It also features heel‑to‑toe walking, “a basic gait retraining drill I use with a lot of patients who have diabetic neuropathy or a history of tripping,” says Daniels. “It forces patients to be more deliberate with each step.

“When it is done correctly, patients are often more comfortable within a minute or two.”

Below the workout, Daniels has also provided form tips to help you walk more confidently.

30‑minute treadmill walking workout

1. Easy warm‑up

Time: 2min Speed: 2-2.5mph Incline: 0%

Relax your shoulders and swing your arms slightly. The aim is to get used to the belt moving under you.

2. Gentle heel-to-toe walking

Time: 3min Speed: 2.5-3mph Incline: 0-1%

Speed up slightly to a comfortable pace, then try this drill.

“Land softly on the heel, roll through the arch, push off the big toe,” while you walk to encourage a normal gait cycle.

3. Brisk walk

Time: 5min Speed: 3-3.5 mph Incline: 1%

This should feel like a purposeful pace. You should be slightly out of breath, but still be able to talk.

4. Brisk walk with incline

Time: 5min Speed: 3.2-3.8mph Incline: 1-2%

Increase the incline if your joints tolerate it, but keep the incline set to 0% if you have knee, hip or low‑back pain. Also, if you’re a total beginner, keep the speed between 3 and 3.2mph.

You should feel your calves and glutes doing some work, but you should experience no sharp pain and no “pinch” in the front of the ankle.

5. Gentle intervals

This section asks you to alternate between walking up an incline and recovering on no, or next-to-no, incline.

Start with very small incline changes. Larger jumps in incline tend to cause calf soreness the next day, especially for people with desk jobs.

Time: 2min Speed: 3-3.5mph Incline: 2%

Time: 2min Speed: 3-3.5mph Incline: 0-1%

Time: 2min Speed: 3-3.5mph Incline: 3% if comfortable; otherwise repeat 2%)

Time: 2min Speed: 2.8-3.2mph Incline: 0-1%

Time: 2min Speed: 3-3.5mph Incline: 2%

6. Cool‑down

Time: 3min Speed: 2.5-3mph Incline: 0%

Lengthen your stride slightly, going back to an easy heel‑to‑toe walk. Release any tension that’s built up in your shoulders and hands.

7. Foot-friendly finish

Time: 2min Speed: 2-2.5mph Incline: 0%

Take shorter steps and relax your breathing. Start mentally checking in with your feet. Can you feel any hot spots, rubbing, or numbness in your toes?

If you have a history of plantar fasciitis or forefoot pain, finish by stepping off the treadmill and doing a series of calf stretches and gentle towel curls with the toes.

Treadmill walking form tips

If you are nervous about your balance or suffer from foot pain, Daniels suggests keeping your spine straight, your eyes forward and your weight centered over your hips. Try not to glance down at your feet too often.

“This helps to ease any lower-back strain,” he explains.

“Keep your foot pointed straight ahead instead of turned way out or in, and aim for the middle of the belt rather than hugging the side rails—people drift without realizing it.

“Don’t forget the arm position. Patients are told to keep a light bend at the elbows with hands relaxed, like they are holding a small paper cup.

“Safety also needs to be considered, so hold the rails and use them lightly with just fingertip contact if you need. Do not place the entire bodyweight onto them.”

He encourages walkers to take short to medium strides as they set out, avoiding big lunges forward, so their foot lands under their hips instead of out in front of them.

“It is simple changes like this that cut down the braking forces on your knees and hips,” he explains.

“Avoid heavy heel stomping or staying up on your toes the whole time, as this can irritate joints or tighten up the calves.”

“When patients hear their feet slapping loudly on the belt, it is a sign they are over‑striding or dropping their foot instead of rolling through it,” he says.

He adds that it is also important to keep your ankles relaxed.

“Don’t forget to breathe. In through the nose, out through the mouth,” he adds.

“Lastly, avoid the drift forward on the belt or chasing the console. If your toes get too close to the front plastic, just step back an inch or two, and your posture should snap right into place.”

Don’t worry if that sounds like a lot (it is). Daniels says that he doesn’t want you to obsess over every step, but suggests that it helps to check in on your form focus every few minutes, especially once you’ve started to get tired.

He explains that tiredness is a big cause of gait patterns falling apart a little.