Walking indoors at home

Rain, dark evenings or icy paths do not have to stop a walk. Here is how to walk at home: where to do it, how hard it should feel, how long to go for, and how Vaskuna counts it.

Where to walk

You do not need a treadmill. A hallway, or a loop through a couple of rooms, is enough. Vaskuna's steady walk asks only for somewhere to walk, indoors or out.

Before you start, clear the way of anything you could trip on, such as loose rugs, cables or shoes, and keep the lights on. Walk somewhere you could stop and sit down if you needed to, as Vaskuna reminds you at the start of every steady walk.

If you have stairs, the Stairs and stride routine adds a few gentle steps. Use the handrail both ways, and come down one step at a time if that feels safer.

How hard it should feel

The British Heart Foundation describes moderate intensity this way: your breathing is faster, but you are "still able to talk" and can keep exercising comfortably. Vaskuna's steady walk puts it in fewer words: walk at a pace where you could talk but not sing.

Slower is fine too. In the World Health Organization's (WHO) terms, slow walking that does not raise your heart rate or breathing much is light activity.

If you feel overly breathless, slow down. The Longer walk routine adds one brisker minute, and asks you to ease off if you cannot speak a short sentence.

How long to walk

WHO's guidelines say to start with small amounts of activity, then gradually increase how often, how hard and how long you are active, over time.

Vaskuna has five walking routines, of 13 to 16 minutes each. Each one includes a calf stretch, and most begin with ankle pumps.

Keep the phone in your pocket

On a walk of three minutes or more, Vaskuna's voice says when you are halfway and when there is one minute to go, so you can keep the phone in a pocket and listen. It can tell you when you are halfway and when the walk is over even with the screen off.

A finished walking session counts toward your weekly minutes like any other session. Apple Health is optional: if you connect it, walks saved there as workouts count toward your week too. Daily steps are not turned into exercise minutes.

Before you start

Vaskuna is a general wellness app and does not give medical advice. If you are unsure whether new exercise is right for you, speak to your doctor before you start.

If you notice chest pain, palpitations, dizziness or light-headedness while you walk, stop. These are the signs the British Heart Foundation lists, and it advises seeking urgent medical advice if they do not go away quickly with rest.

Questions

Does walking around the house count as exercise?

WHO counts slow walking that does not raise your heart rate or breathing much as light activity. Walking at a pace where your breathing is faster but you can still talk is what the British Heart Foundation describes as moderate intensity.

Do I need a treadmill, a watch or a step counter?

No. A hallway or a loop through your rooms is enough, and Vaskuna times the walk for you on your iPhone. Apple Health is optional: if you connect it, walks saved there as workouts count toward your week.

What if I feel unsteady on my feet?

Walk somewhere you could stop and sit down if you needed to, and use the handrail on stairs. Vaskuna also has seated and supported standing routines. If you are unsure whether walking or other new exercise is right for you, speak to your doctor first.

Sources

World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Geneva: WHO; 2020. Read it
British Heart Foundation. Exercising with a heart condition: finding a safe level for you. Heart Matters. Read it