For someone who’s written a lot about walking trends (I’ve given Japanese walking, “mindful” walking, and even strolling like an Austen character a go), I’ve been pretty inactive lately.
Part of that has to do with an injury, but to be honest, I just haven’t been as bothered to head outside since the season change. Chalk it up to “pumpkin spice lethargy” if you like ― but I know it’s not good for me.
So, in my typical fashion, I figured I’d try to “viral challenge” myself out of the slump. In this case, I went for the “6-6-6” walking rule; so far, I’m glad I have.
What’s the ‘6-6-6’ walking rule?
The trend involves walking for 60 minutes at either 6am or 6pm, followed by a six-minute “cooldown”.
And Lannay Dale-Tooze, a personal trainer working at Gymshark, explained: “The timings of the walks are said to be vital, as the 6am option can help set up your day and boost your energy, while the 6pm walk can help you decompress and mark the end of your workday.”
While the PT stated not everyone will be able to stick to those precise hours, the pattern can “improve your mood through the release of endorphins at the start or end of the day” and hold you “accountable” to a workout plan.
Dr Daniel Atkinson, a GP clinical lead at Treated, agreed, saying that though a morning walk is likely to improve your mood, “Walking for an hour at any time of day will have similar cardiovascular health benefits”.
He added, “The ‘6-6-6’ approach also includes a warm-up and cool down, which is important before and after any kind of exercise as it can help you avoid injuries.
“Cooling down can also help restore your heart rate gradually, which can prevent dizziness and lightheadedness.”
Ideally, you should walk at a “brisk pace” ― where you’d struggle to sing while moving, but could still hold a conversation.
That’s because faster walking is linked to a 20% reduction in premature death compared to 4% for slower walkers.
Still, Dale-Tooze said, “Walking of any kind is a great way to improve heart health, help maintain a healthy weight and boost your mood.”
So… is “6-6-6” walking worth it?
I found that it helped me to get out of a fitness funk, though I’m with the experts: I don’t think the specific timing is as important as the consistency it builds.
I liked that it helped me to build a morning routine, and because the days are getting shorter, I get to enjoy beautiful dawnbreaks on my 6am-7am walks.
Aside from finding these motivating, this has a more practical use: natural morning light is uniquely good at regulating our body clocks.
Dr Atkinson told HuffPost UK, “an early morning walk is an easy way of getting some much-needed daylight during the winter months.” This becomes ever more important as we approach the clock changes, and it has helped me sleep better than I had before.
Additionally, it means I don’t have to focus on “boring” metrics like step count. For me, a medium-pace walker strolling on uneven ground, an hour’s walk gets me to pretty much exactly 7,000 steps (5km in my case).
Funnily enough, that’s precisely how many steps a recent study suggested for optimal health benefits in place of the traditional 10,000 steps.
Most of all, though, as Dr Atkinson pointed out, the rule is “easy to remember”, not too overwhelming, and perfect for my work schedule; far more important factors than the numbers themselves.