How to do it
You need: Supportive walking shoes.
Choose a flat, familiar route with somewhere to rest along the way. Wear comfortable, supportive shoes and take water with you.
- Set a starting time you are confident you can manage on most days, even a poor day - for many people this is 5 to 10 minutes.
- Walk at a pace where you can still hold a conversation.
- Keep to your set time even if you feel you could do more on a good day.
- Each week, add 1 to 2 minutes to the daily walk if the previous week felt manageable.
- If illness or a flare-up sets you back, drop to the last time that felt easy and build up again.
Form cues
- You can talk in full sentences while walking - if you cannot, slow down.
- The walk feels repeatable the next day, not something you need to recover from.
- Progress is gradual - small weekly increases add up over months.
Common mistakes
- Doing one very long walk on a good day and paying for it for the rest of the week.
- Increasing your time and your pace at the same time - change one thing at a time.
- Abandoning the programme after a setback instead of dropping back a level.
Safety: Stop and message your physio or GP if you get chest pain, unusual breathlessness, or dizziness while walking.