Spring has officially sprung, and as well daffodils and cherry blossom blooming everywhere, that means lighter mornings and evenings. Finally, we’re waking up knowing that whatever the time is, it’s probably daylight outdoors. And with that fact comes huge possibilities for moving more – like the 6-6-6 walking challenge. That’s a routine which involves having a 60-minute walk every day at either 6am or 6pm. Each session starts with a six-minute warm-up followed by 54 minutes of brisk walking and a six-minute cool-down after.

Unlike strenuous challenges like Hyrox or 75 Hard, this low-intensity workout is intended to help you reap the cardio benefits of moderate exercise without risking injury. The timings of the walks are designed to energise you in the morning or de-stress you at night, giving you time for mindfulness and reflection at the start or the end of the day.

But is it realistic to fit 66 minutes of activity into your schedule every day, especially when it involves eye-wateringly early starts? I tried alternating between 6am and 6pm walks for two weeks to find out…  

While walking may seem like a gentle form of fitness, it has a wide range of wellbeing benefits. For a start, if you walk at a brisk pace rather than a slow stroll, it’s an excellent cardiovascular activity. “By doing cardiovascular workouts, you increase blood flow to the heart, which helps reduce the risk of heart disease, heart failure and stroke,” says Dr Michael Burdon, sport and exercise medicine consultant at Pure Sports Medicine.

In addition to the cardiovascular impact, walking can be beneficial for a variety of physical and mental health aspects. “By exercising regularly, we can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, which can be associated with many long-term health risks,” Burdon continues. “Exercise also reduces inflammation in our bodies, which helps to reduce the risk of several types of different cancers.”

Research shows that walking is more effective than yoga at aiding sleep, and Burdon adds: “In terms of mental health benefits, regular exercise also helps to reduce the risk of dementia, anxiety and depression.”

The 6-6-6 walking routine specifies a six-minute warm-up where you walk at a slower pace before hitting your full stride and a six-minute cool-down period of stretching.

“Warming up and cooling down are essential – and often overlooked – parts of exercise,” says Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris, personal trainer and founder of Fit Mama. “A warm-up gets your body prepped for exercise by gradually increasing your heart rate and blood flow to your muscles. This boosts oxygen delivery, making your muscles more elastic and ready to perform while also loosening your joints, giving you a greater range of motion.”

Stretching post-workout is also key, says Sanchez-Morris: “[Regular cool-downs will help you to] maintain flexibility, reduce muscle tightness and help circulation to aid recovery. Not only this, but cooling down gives you a chance to mentally decompress.” When asked about walking-specific stretches, Sanchez-Morris recommends anything that targets the calves, hamstrings, quads, glutes and hip flexors – ideally holding each for 30 seconds. 

Week one

I ease myself into the challenge with a 6pm walk on a Sunday. It’s already dark when I pull on my trainers and press play on a podcast, completing a 5.5km loop with ease. Despite typically doing four or five HIIT workouts a week, I’m definitely guilty of skipping a cool-down most days, so it feels nice to finish with a good stretch before heading to bed early, ready for my 5.45am alarm.

Apart from a couple of dog walkers, the streets are deserted the next morning when I set out bleary-eyed at 6am. By the time I get home, the walk has done its job and I’m feeling wide awake by the time I make my first cup of tea of the day.

I settle into my new morning/evening routine over the next few days and even convince my friend Josh (the only morning person I know) to join me for a 6am session. It’s strangely exhilarating watching the city slowly coming to life around us. I see some beautiful sunrises that week, but trudging alone in the dark is a bit depressing at times, especially on rainy days. 

Week two

While the morning walks are easy to fit in (because who has plans when no one else is awake?), the evening walks are a bit more tricky to schedule around social events.

When I haven’t got anything in the diary, I can simply ditch the bus and find an hour-long walking route home, but when I’ve got dinner plans at the weekend, it’s impossible to do an hour-long walk, get ready and make it out of the house in time for a 7pm restaurant reservation.

I end up shifting the start times of some of my evening walks, sometimes slotting in an after-work walk with my laptop bag in tow before going to meet a friend. That means I can’t always do my cool-down properly. As much as I love a fitness challenge, I draw the line at doing stretches in the pub.

In spite of the many early wake-up calls, I’m not as tired as I thought I would be, but by the end of the challenge, I’m relieved to be saying goodbye to 5.45am starts. Suddenly, getting up at 7am feels like a lie-in. 

The verdict

The 6-6-6 walking challenge was easier than I expected. I thought the pre-sunrise walks would find me yawning by mid-afternoon, but alternating days made the early starts more manageable, and as an introvert, I enjoyed having an hour of uninterrupted ‘me’ time each day.

Judging by the stats on my fitness watch, walking around 5k or 6k a day at a brisk pace did get my heart rate up and helped to clock up my active minutes. But compared to my usual HIIT workouts, I didn’t get anywhere near the same endorphin release, so I reintroduced those morning HIIT sessions on my evening walk days. 

My biggest takeaway is that the 6-6-6 walking routine isn’t all that well suited to UK winters. Not only do you have to consider your safety when planning routes for walking in the dark, but you also don’t get the serotonin-boosting benefits of sunlight. For now, I’ll stick to indoor workouts, but I’ll definitely be incorporating some sunrise and sunset walks into my fitness routine when spring arrives. 

The Strong Women Trek 2025

On the topic of walking, don’t miss our annual Strong Women Trek which is returning to the beautiful Surrey Hills on Saturday 14 June. 

This event is always evolving, so you can also find us in the Lake District for our brand-new Adventure Trek on Saturday 5 July. Not only are these events a chance to embrace the benefits and beauty of walking and the outdoors, they’re the perfect opportunity to escape the city and connect with hundreds of other like-minded women.

Images: Katie Wright