Can I let you in on a secret? Over the last few months, I’ve really struggled with the motivation to exercise.

Admitting that makes me feel like a bit of a fraud. Let’s face it: my job is to write about health and fitness. I remind you all, almost weekly, about the benefits of movement, with all its longevity and mood-boosting qualities. Outside of work, I lead a run club, where my job is to inspire others to show up on days when they don’t feel like it. And when someone tells me they’re feeling low, my immediate advice is for them to don their trainers and get outside.

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – News 13 brings you a segment focused on health and fitness on News 13 Midday every Wednesday called “Wellness Wednesday.”

This week, Personal Trainer Traycee Green from Pure Platinum was in the studio with News 13’s Chris Marchand to discuss how physical activity can help protect you from heart disease.

Green said that heart disease is the leading cause of death and that physical activity is one of its best-known protectors.

She added that men need twice as much exercise as women.

Green said that results from one study showed that women needed four hours of activity to cut heart disease risk by 30%. But for men, it took them nine hours of activity to cut heart disease risk by 30%.

However, even though it takes longer for men, Green says the best type of exercise is the one you enjoy.

To help lower the risk of heart disease, the NHS guidelines say to do 115 minutes of moderate exercise a week, 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week, and a minimum of two days a week of strength training.

For more information, watch the video above.

Following the news that the NHS is due to launch a walking rewards scheme, walking is – quite rightfully – back in the spotlight as a form of exercise in its own right.

So, if you’re feeling inspired and ready to take on the new Movement 26.2 programme when it launches next year, personal trainer Michael Baah has a hack for getting even more health benefits from your walks.

‘If I could change just one thing about how people walk for fitness, it wouldn’t be asking them to walk further,’ he tells Women’s Health. ‘It would be asking them to walk faster, briefly – 30 seconds of purposeful walking can completely change the training effect of a walk without adding any extra time.’

‘Think of your walk like charging your phone – walking at the same pace from start to finish is like using a standard charger,’ notes Baah. ‘Adding short bursts of faster walking is like switching to fast charge – you’re getting more benefit from the exact same amount of time.’

And if you don’t think 30 seconds is enough to elicit any meaningful change, think again. ‘Those 30-second surges force your heart, lungs and muscles to work harder together. As your heart rate rises, your body becomes better at delivering oxygen where it’s needed,’ explains Baah.

‘Over time, your recovery improves, everyday tasks feel easier and your overall fitness increases.’

‘People often think getting fitter means finding another hour in the day. More often than not, it simply means making better use of the time you already have,’ says Baah. ‘That’s why I love 30-second walking intervals. They’re realistic, accessible and easy to stick with, and it’s those small habits that create lasting results.’

For beginners, Baah recommends three to five 30-second brisk intervals during a 20 to 30-minute walk, two to four times a week.

‘As your fitness improves, gradually build towards six to ten intervals, or introduce a gentle incline before adding more,’ he says. ‘Consistency always beats intensity – I’d rather someone complete three quality interval walks every week than one exhausting session they’ll dread repeating.’

Think of it like you would do strength training, notes Baah – ‘your body adapts when you gradually ask it to do a little more’.

In a world obsessed with step counts, he encourages clients to shift their perspective, and ‘to stop obsessing over step counts and ask themselves one question instead: “How quickly can I burn around ten extra calories today?” For most people, that simply means adding a handful of brisk-walking surges into the walk they’re already doing. It turns an ordinary walk into purposeful training.’

As for assessing the intensity of your intervals, Baah advises forgetting ‘complicated heart rate zones’.

‘During each 30-second burst, you should still be able to say a short sentence, but you shouldn’t want to hold a full conversation – that’s usually the sweet spot.’

Common mistakes to avoid, says Baah, usually relate to misjudging intensity.

‘The biggest mistake is treating every interval like a sprint – you want controlled intensity, not exhaustion,’ he adds. ‘Stand tall, swing your arms naturally and increase your cadence rather than taking longer strides; walk as if you’re late for something.’

And while most healthy adults should be able to safely introduce interval walking into their routines, Baah advises ‘anyone with chest pain, uncontrolled high blood pressure, unstable heart disease or persistent dizziness [to] seek medical advice before increasing intensity’.

‘Likewise, people recovering from surgery or undergoing cancer treatment should follow an exercise plan that’s tailored to their individual needs.’

One of our most frequently asked questions here at Women’s Health? How to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. So, we asked superstar trainer Oyinda Okunowo exactly how to do it. In this 4-week plan – created exclusively for Women’s Health COLLECTIVE members – you’ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to help you on your way to better body composition. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to Oyinda’s plan and start training today.

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Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis.  She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity.  A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.