IntervalTimers.com
Health

Walking Interval Template

Five rounds of 3 minutes brisk and 2 minutes easy, with a warm-up and cool-down either side. A gentle way to build walking tolerance.

12 rounds 1 set 35 min total
More Health Customize

Ready

05:00

Space start or pause · S skip the lead-in · F fullscreen · R reset · Esc exit fullscreen

About this timer

A five-minute warm-up, five rounds of three minutes brisk and two minutes easy, then a five-minute cool-down. Interval walking is one of the most studied ways to build cardiovascular fitness in people for whom running is not an option, and the alternating pace is what makes it work — the brisk blocks push your heart rate up and the easy blocks let you sustain the session long enough to matter.

Best for

  • Building fitness without impact
  • Cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programmes, where prescribed
  • Anyone returning to exercise after a long break

How to pace it

  • Warm-up — comfortable pace, the speed you would walk to the shops
  • Brisk — you should be able to talk but not sing. Slightly breathless is the target
  • Easy — back to conversational, no need to stop moving
  • Cool-down — gradually slow rather than stopping suddenly
  • Add a hill to the brisk blocks once flat walking stops raising your heart rate

Scaling it

Easier
Three rounds instead of five, or shorten the brisk blocks to two minutes.
Harder
Extend the brisk blocks to four or five minutes, add hills, or carry a light pack.

How the clock runs

One pass through this timer is 12 rounds and 35 min. It runs once, for 35 min in total. The intervals break down as 2 × 5 min, 5 × 3 min, and 5 × 2 min.

#IntervalLengthElapsed
1 Warm-Up Walk 05:00 05:00
2 Brisk 03:00 08:00
3 Easy 02:00 10:00
4 Brisk 03:00 13:00
5 Easy 02:00 15:00
6 Brisk 03:00 18:00
7 Easy 02:00 20:00
8 Brisk 03:00 23:00
9 Easy 02:00 25:00
10 Brisk 03:00 28:00
11 Easy 02:00 30:00
12 Cool-Down Walk 05:00 35:00

Questions about the Walking Interval Template

How fast is a brisk walk?

Fast enough that talking takes effort but you are not gasping — commonly around 3 to 4 mph, though what counts as brisk depends entirely on your fitness.

Is walking enough to get fitter?

For most people starting out, yes. Interval walking raises your heart rate into a training range while staying low-impact enough to do most days.