Your walking Winter Arc starts with one short walk

A walking Winter Arc is a personal walking challenge for the last part of the year. Choose a goal, find a few slots for walks, and review how it went each week. You can start with five minutes, use the school run, or walk indoors.

The usual Winter Arc dates are 1 October to 31 December. Those dates give you a season to work with. You can join later and use the weeks you have.

For a simple start:

• Pick walking minutes or total daily steps to track.
• Choose a goal based on what you do now.
• Find one short route and one indoor option.
• Review your plan each week, including rest and missed days.

You don't need a gym, a new watch or a daily 10,000-step target. If this is your first challenge, our beginner's Winter Arc guide helps you set up your first week.

Look at a normal week before choosing your goal. If you track steps, check your recent daily counts. Include workdays and the weekend. If you don't track them, think about how long you can comfortably walk today.

Walking time suits a plan such as a five-minute walk after lunch on three days. Total daily steps suits someone who wants to include errands, housework and short trips. Choose one main measure so your tracker stays simple.

For example, someone who walks about 3,000 steps a day might try adding a short walk on three days. They can see what that adds before choosing a new step target. Your starting point may be lower or higher.

Keep the first week close to what feels manageable now. The NHS advises building walking distance gradually if you're not very active. A challenge target is yours to change if it feels too much.

Does a walking Winter Arc need 7,000 steps a day?

No. A 2025 review in The Lancet Public Health linked 7,000 daily steps with better health outcomes than 2,000. The studies tracked people over time. They do not prove that a set step count causes those benefits for each person.

That research counted all steps in a day, not 7,000 extra steps on a walk. Use it as context, rather than an entry test. Your current activity and how you feel are better guides to your first week.

Give yourself a backup before the weather changes. Pick an option you can use without much setup.

• Walk around clear rooms or a hallway during a break.
• Try a gentle indoor walking video with space to move.
• Use a treadmill or walking pad if you already have one.
• Take a short walk in a covered public space where walking is allowed.

For outdoor walks, choose a familiar, well-lit route with a clear surface. Wear shoes with grip and clothes suited to the weather. Move indoors when ice, poor visibility or other conditions make the route unsafe.

If you use a phone to count steps, carry it during the walk. When walking minutes are your measure, a clock is enough. Indoor walking still belongs in your plan even if a device misses some steps.

For more seasonal ideas, read how to keep walking in winter. Our Winter Arc for mums has options for weeks shaped by family plans.

Motion brings your activity into one place using your phone or a connected tracker. Its weekly goals adapt to your activity, and your movement helps a virtual pet called a Motmot grow.

You can invite a friend for a weekly battle based on each person's share of their own goal. That gives walkers with different starting points something to enjoy together.

Motion is free to start on iOS and Android. Use it alongside your walking plan for a view of your week.