This 10-minute walking workout is perfect if you want to boost your step count while staying indoors

Walking is a great way to get a cardiovascular workout, especially if you’ve just started to exercise regularly—all you’ll need is a pair of good sneakers and a sidewalk.

However, depending on where you live, walking outside may not be an option year round. Treadmills are a good substitute, but they can be costly, take up considerable space and many people find them somewhat boring.

Lately, I’ve been enjoying my daily walks so I was disappointed when a week of soggy weather prevented me from hitting the pavement. Since I don’t own a treadmill and didn’t have enough time to make it to the gym, I turned to YouTube for an alternative.

I found Rachel’s Fit Pilates 10-minute walking workout and decided to give it a try. No equipment is needed for this workout, though you might want to use a yoga mat for comfort.

How to do this 10-minute walking workout

10 min Walking Exercise for Weight Loss | Low Impact Cardio to the Beat 🎶 - YouTube

Watch On

Rachel includes 10 exercises in this quick workout, all done to the beat of the music. You’ll perform each exercise for a full minute with a few seconds of rest between each move.

1. Walk in place
2. Side step
3. Side step and front raise
4. Side step and front-side raise
5. Two steps forward and back with arms extended
6. Side step and side bend with right arm raise
7. Side step and side bend with left arm raise
8. Side step and bicep curl
9. Side step and tricep kickback
10. Two steps forward and back with arms extended

Rachel demonstrates the more complex exercises during rest breaks, giving you a chance to practice the movement before starting your work interval.

What I found

It’s more like dancing or aerobics than walking

I’d never done a walking workout on YouTube before so I was curious to see how they are structured and how the instructors keep the workout interesting—walking in place for 10 minutes never seemed very engaging!

This workout answered that question. The walking part lasts the first two minutes but after that, it felt more like a dance fitness or aerobics class. Rachel incorporates simple yet fun choreography that also involves the upper body. Doing movements to the beat of the music keeps you engaged throughout the 10 minutes.

It takes a bit of coordination

I found the movements to be straightforward and simple, but they do require some coordination.

You’ll have a full minute to master each step, so even those with two left feet should catch on eventually. The great thing about YouTube is that you can pause and rewind the video if you need to. You can also move slower than Rachel if that works better for you.

It’s great for beginners and can be easily progressed

If you’ve never exercised before and have been wanting to start, this workout would be a great introduction. It’s relatively short, easy to follow and gets the heart pumping in a way that’s doable for almost any fitness level.

As a certified personal trainer, I’m no stranger to challenging workouts so this 10-minute routine wasn’t difficult for me. However, I could easily increase the intensity by adding some light hand weights, wear a weighted vest or strap on ankle and wrist weights.