It needs no equipment, no sign-up and no talent. Walking is probably the most underrated habit of all — and when you do it outdoors, it combines movement, natural light and a break for your mind.

Start with what’s doable

You don’t need ten thousand steps on day one. Twenty minutes at a pace where you can still chat, but feel you’re moving, is a great starting point. If that’s too much, start with ten and build up.

The most important thing is to fit the walk into something you already do: getting off one stop early, walking to buy the bread, a lap round the block after lunch.

A walk after lunch has another advantage: it gets you out of your chair in the middle of the day and marks a break between morning and afternoon. Some say the best ideas turn up right there, away from the screen and with your feet on the move.

Why outdoors?

Walking outdoors has advantages the treadmill can’t give you: a change of scenery, fresh air and natural light. Daylight, especially in the morning, helps set the rhythm of the day. And in autumn and winter, when we spend more time indoors, those minutes outside become even more valuable.

The best exercise plans are the ones that fit into an ordinary Tuesday.

Ideas to keep you going

  • Arrange to meet a friend: it’s harder to skip.

  • Vary your route: a park, the riverside, a new street.

  • Save a podcast just for your walks.

  • Comfortable shoes always by the door.

  • On rainy days, an umbrella and ten minutes still count.

Vitamin D is produced mainly in the skin through sun exposure. In the less sunny months, some people complement it with a supplement.

Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and teeth.

Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system.

On very sunny days, protect your skin and avoid the hottest hours. And if you have a health condition or are getting back into exercise after a long break, talk to your doctor first.

In short

  • Start with 10 to 20 minutes at a comfortable pace.

  • Fit the walk into something you already do.

  • Choose the outdoors: natural light and a change of scenery.

  • A fixed meet-up helps you not to skip it.

This article is for information only and is not a substitute for advice from a health professional.