I tried this 5,000-step walking workout with over one million views—here’s how many steps I actually took, according to my Apple Watch

No jumping and no repeats, this at-home cardio workout got my heart racing

A woman does a walking workout in her living room. She is marching on the spot with her arms bent and held at her side. She wears grey leggings, a tank top and sneakers. Behind her we see plants, a couch, a chair, and paintings. There are also dumbbells and yoga blocks to her side.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

In my humble opinion, walking is one of the best forms of exercise. It’s low-impact, low-cost and always makes my mind and body feel better.

But my motivation to increase my step count wanes during fall when it’s dark and the temperatures drop. That’s where at-home walking workouts, like this 5,000-step 30-minute class from Eleni Fit, come in handy.

"Step walking workouts combine stepping to the beat with low-impact movements," says Carrie Baxter, coach at fitness app, WithU. "They’re super accessible, as you can do them from home and they’re suitable for beginners. Plus, it’s a really fun way to exercise—who doesn’t like working out to a beat?!".

Having racked up more than one million views, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about and to see if I could really do 5,000 steps in 30 minutes. So, here’s how to do Elen Fit's walking workout and everything I learned after completing it.

How to do Eleni Fit’s 5,000 step 30-minute walking workout

5000 STEPS IN 30 Min - Walking FAT BURN Workout to the BEAT, Super Fun, No Repeat, No Jumping - YouTube 5000 STEPS IN 30 Min - Walking FAT BURN Workout to the BEAT, Super Fun, No Repeat, No Jumping - YouTube
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You might not hit 5,000 steps

Eager to see how many steps I could complete in 30 minutes, I wore my Apple watch during the workout. But after the class finished, I hadn’t hit the 5,000-step target. Instead, I’d clocked up 3,588 according to my watch.

"My guess is that you’re moving a little too slowly," Baxter suggests. "The instructor will be moving to a beat specifically calculated to achieve a set number of steps within each block of work, so if you’re finding two or three tracks within a workout a little too fast to keep up with, you may end up achieving a little under the official step count."

There's also—whisper it—the chance that my Apple Watch was wrong. Either way, I still enjoyed the session and it helped me get closer to my daily step count goal.

Apple Watch SE: was $249 now $189 on Amazon

Apple Watch SE: was $249 now $189 on Amazon

An Apple Watch SE packs all the essentials you need to keep tabs on your health. I wear mine for walking workouts, but you can also use it to monitor things like your running, cycling and swimming performance. The watch also tracks sleep cycles and will ping you if it there are irregularities with your heartbeat.

Step walking workouts will test your coordination

Step walking workouts require more coordination than just putting one foot in front of the other.

Instead of walking on the spot or stepping from side to side, the instructor challenges you to combine these movements with things like punches, standing crunches, squats, arm circles and shoulder rolls.

So not only did this aerobic session give me a full-body workout, but it also gave my brain a mental boost.

Walking can be fun

From improving joint health to boosting cardio, the benefits of walking are tenfold. But if the thought of venturing into the great outdoors doesn’t fill you with joy, at-home step-walking workouts are the next best thing.

The music was blasting, my heart rate was up and it felt like I was essentially dancing in my front room. Instead of focusing on the activity of working out, I was enjoying the feeling of moving my body.

Shop walking shoes

Most indoor walking workouts can be performed without shoes, but if you're taking your exercise outdoors we'd recommend one of the below sneakers. They all feature in our round-up of the best walking shoes and will offer comfort and support during your strolls.

Becks Shepherd

Becks is a freelance journalist and writer with more than 7 years of experience in the field. She writes health and lifestyle content for a range of titles including Live Science, Top Ten Reviews, Tom’s Guide, Stylist, The Independent, and more. She also ghostwrites for a number of Physiotherapists and Osteopaths. 

Health has been a big part of Becks’ lifestyle since time began. When she’s not writing about the topic of health, she’s in the gym learning new compound exercises. And when she’s not in the gym, she’s most probably reading.