How to make walking to work a habit: start with part of the trip

If you want to know how to make walking to work a habit, start smaller than the whole trip. The NHS page on walking for health lists "walking part of your journey to work" as one of its ways to build walking into your day. Part of the trip is enough to begin, and a habit grows from there.

This guide turns that idea into a plain plan, using NHS, Harvard Health and Highway Code advice, with a small daily target on the route.

Why part of the trip is enough

The NHS says you do not have to walk for hours. A brisk 10-minute daily walk has lots of health benefits and counts towards the 150 minutes of exercise a week it recommends. Brisk means about 3 miles an hour: you can still talk, but you cannot sing the words to a song.

Ten minutes of a commute is easy to find. Get off the bus or train a stop early, park further away, or walk the last stretch. The NHS also lists leaving the car behind for short journeys and using the stairs instead of the lift.

The NHS activity guidelines for adults add that adults should be active every day and break up long periods of sitting. A walk at each end of the working day does exactly that.

What to wear: work clothes and comfy shoes

The NHS gives walking commuters a simple answer: wear your usual work clothes with a comfy pair of shoes, and change shoes when you get into work. Any shoes or trainers that are comfortable, give good support and do not cause blisters will do.

Keep your work shoes at work, and the walk costs you one minute of changing.

For a longer walk, the NHS suggests a small backpack with water and a spare top. If walking to work becomes a regular, longer habit, it says you may want to invest in a waterproof jacket, which is worth it once you know the walk is here to stay.

How to make walking to work a habit: grow it slowly

The NHS says that if you are not very active, you should increase your walking distance gradually. Harvard Health's walking tips agree from another angle: they quote a doctor saying people who choose small, achievable goals and write them down are more likely to get them done, such as gradually increasing distance.

Here is a four-week plan built on both:

Grow the walk a little each week, and write each goal down. Sources: NHS and Harvard Health.

1. Week 1: walk the last 10 minutes of the trip, briskly, every working day. Write it down as your goal.
2. Week 2: start the walk one stop or one street earlier.
3. Week 3: add the same walk on the way home.
4. Week 4: try a new route for part of it, as Harvard suggests doing once a week or once a month.

If you are new to walking for exercise, our beginner's 5-week plan builds the same way.

Cross busy commuter roads safely

Rush hour roads are busy, so the Highway Code's rules for pedestrians matter more. Rule 1 says to use the pavement where there is one, avoid walking next to the kerb with your back to the traffic, and stay aware of your surroundings without unnecessary distractions.

Rule 7, the Green Cross Code, covers crossing:

• Stop just before you get to the kerb.
• Look all around for traffic, and listen.
• Do not cross until there is a safe gap and you are sure there is plenty of time.
• Keep looking and listening while you cross, and do not walk diagonally across the road.

Rule 3 adds: in poor daylight, wear something light-coloured, bright or fluorescent, and in the dark use reflective materials. These are UK rules; check your own country's. Our guide to walking safely after dark covers winter commutes.

Keep it interesting

The same street twice a day gets dull. The NHS says walking while listening to music or a podcast can take your mind off the effort and help you walk faster; keep the volume low enough to hear traffic, as rule 7 asks you to listen. It also points out that towns and cities offer interesting walks, including parks, canal towpaths and riverside paths, so a slightly longer route can be the better one.

The NHS also lists doing a regular walk with a friend as a way to make walking a habit. If a colleague lives near your route, agree a corner to meet and walk the last stretch together. A plan you share with someone is one more reason to turn up on a grey morning.

For wet mornings, our plan for walking when it rains keeps the habit going.

Give the commute a target

Cat Go is a game that plays in your web browser, in its own words: "Walk anywhere, photograph a real cat, lure it with food and catch it." The map shows treat stops; walking within range of one collects kibble, and sometimes tuna, which are in-game food. Afterwards the stop shows "Refilling" with the minutes until it is ready again.

Cat Go starts on a map. Treat stops near you appear once location is on.

Find a treat stop on the walking part of your commute and make it your daily checkpoint. If you pass a cat on a wall on the way, you can photograph it for your Catdex. The game needs location and the camera allowed in your browser; it says it uses your location "to find treat stops and to record where each cat was caught. Nothing else is shared."

Frequently asked questions

How far should I walk to work at first?

Start with about 10 brisk minutes. The NHS says a brisk 10-minute daily walk counts, and to increase your distance gradually.

What should I wear to walk to work?

The NHS suggests your usual work clothes with a comfy pair of shoes, changing shoes when you arrive.

How do I stick with it?

Write a small goal down, as Harvard Health suggests, and grow it a little each week.

How do I cross busy roads on the way?

Follow the Highway Code's Green Cross Code: stop at the kerb, look all around and listen, and cross only when there is a safe gap.

Get started

Tonight, pick the 10 minutes of tomorrow's commute you will walk, write it down, and put comfy shoes by the door. For the middle of the day, see how to fit a walk into your lunch break.

Play Cat Go in your browser: walk anywhere, photograph a real cat, lure it with food and catch it.