Guide
A gentle walking plan with rest breaks
Not every walk needs to be a workout. A few minutes of easy walking, a short rest standing still, and again. Here's a gentle plan for older walkers or anyone easing back into walking, and how to make it your own.
The plan: 21 minutes, with rests
- Warm up, 3 minutes: slow and loose.
- Easy 2 minutes, rest 1 minute, three times. Rest means stand or sit, breathe, look around.
- A little brisker, twice: 30 seconds a bit quicker, 1 minute 30 easy, 1 minute rest.
- Cool down, 3 minutes: slow and easy.
Too much? Drop the brisker part and just repeat easy and rest. Feeling good? Add a round, or shorten the rests.
Tips for a comfortable walk
- Pick a flat, familiar route with a bench or a wall to lean on during rests.
- Comfortable shoes and layers you can take off.
- Bring water, and walk at a cooler time of day in hot weather.
- Stop if you feel dizzy, short of breath, or have chest pain, and seek help.
Ready made in Pace Pulse: Gentle Walk and Gentle Steps
Pace Pulse has a ready-made Gentle Walk: a 3 minute warm-up, four rounds of 3 minutes easy and 1 minute rest, and a 2 minute cool-down. 21 minutes in all.
To build up step by step, follow Gentle Steps, a 6 week programme with three walks a week:
| Week | Walk | How often |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 rounds of 2 min easy, 1 min rest (17 min) | 3 walks |
| 2 | 4 rounds of 3 min easy, 1 min rest (21 min) | 3 walks |
| 3 | 4 rounds of 4 min easy, 1 min rest (25 min) | 3 walks |
| 4 | 4 rounds of 5 min easy, 45 s rest (28 min) | 3 walks |
| 5 | 4 rounds of 4 min easy, 1 min brisker, 45 s rest | 3 walks |
| 6 | 4 rounds of 4 min easy, 1:30 brisker, 30 s rest | 3 walks |
Gentle plans never nudge you to speed up, and the weekly challenges stay small. If you tell Pace Pulse you're easing back in, it suggests Gentle Steps for you.
Making your own
Open Plans, start a new plan and switch it to Custom. Add a warm up, then a repeat group with an easy block and a Rest block, set it to repeat three times, and finish with a cool down. Each block has its own time, and you can move, copy or change any of them.
During a rest block Pace Pulse doesn't count steps and won't auto-pause, so you can stand and breathe while the timer carries on. Voice and vibration tell you when to set off again.
Building up over time
Every week or two, try one change: a longer easy block, a shorter rest, or one extra round. When standing rests start to feel unnecessary, try swapping them for easy walking, and have a look at interval walking for beginners.
Let Pace Pulse time it for you
A free interval walking timer for iPhone, Apple Watch, Android and Wear OS. Ready made plans, gentle walks with rest stops, treadmill plans with speed and incline, voice and haptic cues for every switch, and a custom builder. No ads, no account.
Get Pace PulseQuestions
Is it OK to stop and rest during a walk?
Yes. Short standing rests are a good way to walk for longer comfortably, especially when starting out. Build up gradually, and check with your doctor if you have a health condition.
How long should a gentle walk be?
Ten to twenty minutes is a good start for many people. Add a few minutes at a time as it gets easier.
Can I make my own walking plan with rest breaks?
Yes. In Pace Pulse, make a plan Custom and add Rest blocks anywhere, in any order, with repeats.
Is there a ready-made gentle plan?
Yes. Pace Pulse has a 21 minute Gentle Walk and a 6 week Gentle Steps programme of easy walking with rest stops.
Pace Pulse is a walking timer, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are recovering from an illness or injury, or haven't been active for a while, check with your doctor first.