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5-Minute Indoor Walking Workout

By: Lindsey Bomgren, CPT | November 20, 2024

Get over 500 steps in just five minutes with this all standing, indoor walking workout. These low impact, but high intensity cardio exercises can be done from the comfort of your home using just your bodyweight. Burn fat, get your heart pumping, and get your daily steps in at home in just five minutes.

Jump To Workout

Burn calories and get your steps in from your living room with this 5-minute indoor walking workout.

I have a personal goal to get 10,000 steps a day, because I know that getting my steps in makes me feel better — physically and mentally.

When I’m walking every day, I experience less back and joint pain from sitting at my desk. I’ve also found that walking outdoors in the sunshine improves my mood.

Plus, walking is great for heart health, and requires no equipment and no gym membership.

That said, if you live somewhere that experiences really hot summers or really cold winters, it can be tough to get outside for a daily walk. That’s why our beginner step workout and all standing at home cardio workouts have been so popular.

Use this short walking workout as a way to jump-start your morning, or as a quick break in the middle of the work day. I personally tracked around 850 steps in just five minutes on my Garmin fitness tracker.

two women marching in place to get their steps in as part of an indoor walking workout

Walking Workout For Weight Loss

Get your steps in, burn calories and raise your heart rate with this 5-Minute Indoor Walking Workout.

A quick and effective bodyweight cardio routine, targeting the entire body. This low impact workout will get your heart pumping, improve cardiovascular fitness, and boost your mood in 5 minutes.

Add a cardio workout like this one to your exercise routine 1-2 times a week.

Workout Equipment:

No equipment, just your bodyweight.

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided Indoor Walking Workout on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer Lindsey Bomgren. 

Your Workout Looks Like This:

  • 5 Minutes of Dynamic Power Walking
  • Flow Directly From One Move To The Next To Maximize Step Count
  • Over 500 Steps in 5 Minutes
two women performing a high knee or standing crunch and tapping with the opposite hand in an indoor walking workout

Prefer to Watch On YouTube?

youtube icon Walking Workout

Workout Outline

  1. March In Place
  2. Side-to-Side Step Touch
  3. Lateral Heisman Runner
  4. Forward to Back Step Touch and Jumping Jack
  5. Alternating Double High Knee and Tap
  6. Lateral Heisman Runner and Oblique Crunch
  7. Split Stance Runners

Standing Cardio Exercises

March In Place

Targets: Hip flexors, quads, calves and core.

two women marching in place as part of an indoor walking workout

How To March In Place

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides, spine straight and hips facing forward.
  2. Pick your left foot up off the ground as you lift your left knee up and towards the ceiling. Move your opposite arm with the opposite knee.
  3. Set the left foot back on the ground and alternate, this time picking your right foot up off the ground as you lift your right knee up and towards the ceiling.
  4. Continue this pattern, alternating legs as you try to stay in the same spot throughout the exercise. Maintain a steady pace and normal breathing.

Side-to-Side Step Touch

Targets: Hip flexors, quads, calves, shoulders and chest.

two women performing a side to side step touch in a walking workout

How To Do A Side-to-Side Step Touch

  1. Start standing in an athletic stance, feet hip-distance apart and knees slightly bent. Hold your arms just under shoulder height, slight bend in the elbows.
  2. Side step to the right with your right foot, then step your left foot across to join your right. As you step to the right, open the arms wide to raise your heart rate. Pull the arms in as the left foot taps.
  3. Tap the left foot on the floor and then immediately step back to the left, following with your right to tap. 
  4. Repeat this process, alternating the side step.

Lateral Heisman Runner

Targets: Legs, core, hip flexors and glutes.

two women performing lateral heisman runners in an indoor walking workout

How To Do Lateral Heisman Runners

  1. Stand with your feet hip- to shoulder-width distance apart, knees slightly bent.
  2. With control, spring off of your left foot to your right foot, landing softly on your right foot.
  3. Shuffle to the right side of your mat by bringing the left foot to center as you bring the right foot up again. Then spring off the left foot again, raising your left knee above hip level as you drive your right arm forward.
  4. Immediately reverse the lateral shuffle, springing to your left.
  5. Continue alternating sides, never letting both feet touch the floor at the same time.

Forward to Back Step Touch and Jumping Jack

Targets: Legs, glutes, outer glutes (side butt), quads, hamstrings, inner thighs, calves and core.

two women performing a step touch forward to back in a step workout at home

How To Do A Forward to Back Step Touch and Jumping Jack

  1. Stand at the back of your space, feet wider than hips and core engaged.
  2. Step the left foot forward and out to a diagonal. If you were walking up an exercise mat, think about stepping your foot to the edge of the mat.
  3. Then, step the right foot in to meet the left, performing a step touch. Right toes land near left heel.
  4. Immediately step the right foot forward and out to a diagonal, this time bringing the left foot in to tap near the right. Repeat, taking four step taps forward.
  5. When you get to the front of your space, reverse the movement. Step the left foot back and out to a diagonal, immediately following with a step touch from the right foot.
  6. After four steps backward, you should have reached the starting point or the back of your space.
  7. Pause here and perform four jumping jacks. With your chest upright and core engaged, “jack” your feet out wide as you drive the arms overhead.
  8. Then “jack” your feet into a narrow stance and bring the arms down again. Repeat for four jumping jacks before stepping forward again.

Alternating Double High Knee and Tap

Targets: Upper abs, lower abs, obliques, transverse abdominis and hip flexors.

two women doing a knee to elbow tap in an indoor walking and steps workout

How To Do Alternating Double High Knees and Taps

  1. Start standing, feet wider than hips, core engaged.
  2. Transfer your weight to your left foot as you drive your right knee up towards your chest, rotating through your torso to bring your left hand to meet your right knee.
  3. Tap your right toes on the ground and repeat, this time brining your left elbow to meet your right knee.
  4. Then, return your right foot to the ground and shift your weight, transferring your weight into your right foot as you drive your left knee up towards your chest.
  5. Continue this pattern, alternating hand to knee and elbow to knee as you perform a double alternating high knee or standing crunch.
  6. Option to keep this low impact or add a little power by hopping between each crunch.

Split Stance Runners

Targets: Calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, abs and core.

two women performing split stance runners as part of an indoor walking workout to get your steps in

How To Do Split Stance Runners

  1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides, spine straight and hips facing forward.
  2. Find a split stance position by stepping the right foot just in front of the left. Right heel should be in line with left toes. Feet are parallel; imagine you are standing on train tracks.
  3. Perform a small jump as you switch your stance, bringing the left foot forward as you send the right foot back.
  4. Land softly, this time left foot is forward, left heel in line with right toes.
  5. Jump directly up, keeping the feet in the same position.
  6. Then jump directly up again, switching the position of the feet to bring the right foot forward again. Repeat the sequence. Option to alternate bending the arms as you would if you were running.

FAQs

Can You Lose Weight Doing Walking Workouts?

Cardio workouts, like walking, do burn calories which can help you lose weight. That said, weight loss takes time. A combination of consistent factors will ultimately contribute to fat loss. A well-rounded workout plan, eating in a calorie deficit, and increasing your resting metabolic rate are important if your goal is weight loss.

Are Walking Workouts Actually Good Exercise?

There are many benefits of walking. It’s free, requires no equipment, is one of the easiest ways to get more active, and is accessible for all fitness levels. A daily walk can improve your heart and lung health, improve bone density, and help you maintain both a healthy weight and healthy blood pressure. Walking can also reduce stress and anxiety and improve your sleep (Mayo Clinic).

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Pin this Workout: Indoor Cardio to Lose Weight

woman performing indoor walking exercises with text overlay

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2 comments

  1. Just tried the 5 min. Workout. I did really enjoy this workout, BUT couldn’t stand that there was no beat to follow. There was music, but we didn’t follow any kind of rhythm I am used to old fashioned aerobics where we were on beat all the time. Will try more of theses workouts though. I have limited space in my house and I was able to do this within that space and feel good afterwards.

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