Walking is a very simple activity, but it does wonders for the mind and body. I find that just a 30-minute walk in my neighborhood park relaxes my joints, improves circulation, and clears my head.

Unfortunately, in the winter, the days get shorter and the weather a little more erratic. So I set myself the challenge of finding ways to incorporate walking into my indoor workouts. And I was to find the perfect workout for the holiday season, when many people are traveling and don't have access to a gym or their favorite fitness equipment, but still want to get moving and feel good about themselves. I knew I needed a little goal, so I found a workout that clocked in at a total of 4,000 steps in just 30 minutes, and I thought 4,000 steps was a pretty solid benchmark to get myself going. According to a recent study published in Cardiology, just 3,867 steps can get you started on a healthier lifestyle and significantly lower your risk of death from any cause. The latter sounds a bit morbid, but it is quite impressive that walking has the potential to extend life. Furthermore, it is encouraging that 10,000 steps is no longer the prescribed number of steps recommended to be walked daily.

I found an indoor walking routine on YouTube that promised 5,000 steps, but still wasn't convinced that it would actually feel like a workout or make me feel as good as when I walked outside. With the saying "don't do it until you try it" running through my brain, I shoved on my best gym leggings and started playing the indoor walking workout routine. Read on to find out what kind of workout it was.

After a little research, I came across Olivia Lawson, a certified fitness coach who posts walking-specific workouts on YouTube. The workout technically lasts a total of 34 minutes and is designed to do more than log 5,000 steps on a fitness tracker.

Lawson designed a series of walking-based exercises that burn calories, tone the abdominal muscles, and raise the heart rate. What I particularly appreciated about this indoor walking routine was the lack of repetition. I was very excited to try this walking routine because I tend to get bored and demotivated when I do the same exercises over and over again. To see how I approached the walk, see the routine below.

During the pandemic, like many, I became obsessed with training at home. A week after the initial lockdown, my parents' living room became a HIIT studio, and I bounced from burpees to weighted lunges as sped-up pop songs and workout video beeps informed me of the five seconds left in the interval. It was a little loud and chaotic, but that was my way of dealing with the state blockade.

So the idea of doing a walking-based workout at home sounded a bit boring to me, to be honest; I imagined walking on the spot for 30 minutes, knees up high and most excited. But as much as I didn't want to admit I was wrong, I was wrong.

The workout stepped straight into alternating crossover steps with arms extended and extended in sync with the leg movements; after 45 seconds, a 5-second rest, then straight into high knees with hands on the ground, taking a step back.

I continued this cycle of taking a new step every 45 seconds for over 30 minutes. Right from the start I stumbled over adjusting myself and keeping a good pace. What I thought would be a fairly monotonous walking exercise turned out to be an unexpected challenge and excitement. I also thought it would be the perfect way to get out of the Boxing Day blues before I ate my turkey and stuffing.

Anyone who goes for a run or hits the gym before the start of the day knows how much it prepares you for the day. Instead of getting out of bed, getting dressed, and spending the first hour of your day groggy and half asleep, consider incorporating a simple indoor walk. It will wake you up, stretch and loosen your muscles, and put you in a better mood for the rest of the day.

Need convincing that exercise helps mental well-being? Research has proven that exercise relieves anxiety, depression, and negative moods, as well as boosts self-esteem and cognitive function.

I have found indoor walking workouts to be strangely empowering. It may sound silly, but by figuring out the movements and keeping up with the pace of the music (although Lawson says you don't have to follow the beat), I got a lot of mileage out of it. Moving my body in a low-impact yet energizing way was very uplifting, and I felt a little lighter on my feet when I left the house that morning.

If you're looking for a healthier, more energetic start to the day in the New Year, the Christmas vacations are a great time to try a new morning routine. Why not make this walking workout your first routine of the day? You don't have to leave the house to do it, and you don't have to blame the weather for not being able to do your morning walk.

As soon as I stopped feeling silly walking in my bedroom and became more confident in each movement, my heart beat increased, my body temperature rose, and I began to sense that this style of workout could have significant physical benefits if done regularly. My goal in engaging in this workout was not to be calorie-conscious, but if so, the indoor walking routine is a great way to keep the heart rate elevated throughout and thus burn calories. There is one more bonus. It was a totally free way to warm up inside on a very cold winter day. I would do anything to avoid having to turn on the heat when the cost of living is in the pinch.

Indoor walking is suitable for people of all fitness levels and is more rewarding than you might imagine. I have found it to be a really fun way to get my heart rate up and my body moving without having to leave the house.

This is a great style of workout to add to your bank and I recommend taking it on your Christmas vacation. Whether you're coming off of three days of roast turkey sandwiches or just want to get away from the family for a half hour over the holidays, this is the perfect exercise escape.