BUILD MORE WALKING INTO YOUR DAY

1. Revive that old lockdown habit: invite friends for a walk instead of a coffee.

2. Get off public transport a couple of stops early.

3. Walk to the local shops, instead of driving and, instead of going to the shop that’s closest, go to the one that’s further from your home, where possible.

4. Early for an appointment? Don’t sit around waiting, walk around the block.

5. Keep track of your step count. Scientists at the University of South Australia have found that you’ll walk further if you wear a fitness tracker. Wearing a tracking device could add as many as 1,800 steps to your daily step count, and encourage you to walk an extra 40 minutes a day, according to the research published in the Lancet Digital Health, equating to a 2.2lb weight loss over five months.

body involved – start power walking instead. “Engage your arms just as you would if you were running,” says Nina Barough, author of Walking For Fitness and founder of the breast cancer charityfundraising MoonWalk. “Increased pace comes from our arms, not feet. The next step towards a faster pace is to streamline your stride by putting one foot directly in front of the other and shortening your stride. A good power walker should aim for 5mph.”

Set a target

The easiest way to know if you are walking fast enough to get fit is to do the Talk Test – “You should feel the exertion, but still be able to hold a conversation,” says Barough. But you can also use a heart-rate monitor to make sure you’re exerting yourself at around 65 per cent of your max. (Your max heart rate is 220 minus your age).