# Cost and access > Walking from your own door is the clearest free way to start, and every minute counts. You can build strength at home using your body weight or filled water bottles, or from a chair if standing is hard. You don't need a gym or special gear. - Type: Guide - Topic: Habits & Motivation › Overcoming Barriers - Reviewed by: Andrew Schox, BSc(Hons) PGradDipPod MPod, Podiatrist (2026-10-21) - URL: https://twikka.com/learn/cost-and-access - Updated: 2026-10-21 - **Walking is a free place to start.** Brisk walking counts as moderate-intensity activity and needs no equipment [1]. - **Every minute counts.** Even 1 minute of brisk walking counts as exercise, so start small and build up [2]. - **You don't need a gym.** A few minutes and a positive attitude are enough to begin, without fancy gear or much space [3]. - **Strength work can be done at home** using your body weight or a pair of filled water bottles [4]. ## How can you be active without spending much? Walking is the clearest free place to start, because it needs no equipment and brisk walking counts as moderate-intensity activity [1]. Even 1 minute of brisk walking counts as exercise [2]. The usual recommendation is at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, which is around 20 to 30 minutes a day [2]. But every minute counts, so start gradually and build up from there [5]. Adults who can't or don't want to reach the recommended amounts still benefit from doing less [6]. A few ways to make this practical: - **Use the talk test.** If you can still talk but not sing, you're working at a moderate level [5]. - **Try other low-cost activities** that raise your heart rate and make you breathe faster and feel warmer, such as dancing, riding a bike or pushing a lawnmower [5]. - **Break up long spells of sitting** with short bouts of standing and moving about [6]. > **Try this:** This week, step outside and walk briskly for a minute or two, until you can talk but not sing. Then slow down. Repeat a few times, and add a minute or two when it feels easy. ## What if you don't have access to a gym or equipment? You don't need a gym. Walking from your own door needs no equipment [1], and you don't need fancy gym gear or a lot of space to get active [3]. For strength, exercises can be done at home to improve your health and mobility. They are described as gentle and easy to follow, even if you haven't done much for a while [4]. Use your body weight, or a pair of filled water bottles as light weights, for example for biceps curls [4]. You can also clear some space and follow a free home workout routine that needs no equipment [2]. A simple home session can follow one pattern: a warm-up of light joint movements (about 5 minutes), body-weight strength exercises (about 20 minutes), then a cooldown (about 5 minutes) [7]. That pattern was designed for older adults, so it may not suit everyone in their 40s to 70s. Shorter sessions are fine. If standing or space is a problem, seated exercise is an option. Chair-based strength exercises can improve mobility and strength in older adults with limited mobility, and can progress to standing as strength, balance and function improve [8]. For wheelchair users and people with low mobility, activity done while seated can help reduce sitting time [9]. ## When to check with a health professional If you're starting exercise after a long break, it's always a good idea to see your doctor first. For an injury or a health condition, see a health professional, such as your doctor or a physio. They can help you choose the type and amount of activity that suits you [9]. Start gently and increase activity gradually. The risks of being inactive are markedly higher than the short-term risks of a bout of exercise [10][11]. If new symptoms appear as you do more, see a doctor or other health professional. A sore muscle or joint, or soreness a day or two later, is a reason to ease off. Get advice if it persists or gets worse. Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure (or pain spreading to the arm, neck, jaw or back, especially with sweating or feeling sick), severe breathlessness, fainting or collapse, signs of a stroke, a serious injury, or someone who isn't safe. ## Quick answers ### Do short bursts of activity count? Yes. Activity of any length counts towards your weekly amount, and there is no need to do it in blocks of at least 10 minutes. A brisk minute on the stairs, a short walk to the shop and a few minutes of dancing at home all add up over the week. ### How many steps a day do I need? There's no single number that suits everyone. Ten thousand steps a day is a popular target, but lower step counts are also linked with benefits, especially for older adults. That is a link, not proof that steps cause it. Start from where you are now and add a little at a time. ## Sources 1. Hanson S, Jones A (2015). Is there evidence that walking groups have health benefits? A systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4453623/ 2. NHS Better Health. Get active. http://www.nhs.uk/better-health/get-active/ 3. NHS My Health London. Get fit at home. https://www.myhealthlondon.nhs.uk/be-healthier/move-more/get-fit-at-home/ 4. NHS. Strength exercises. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/strength-exercises 5. NHS Better Health. How to be more active. https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/get-active/how-to-be-more-active 6. Garber CE et al. (2011). American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e318213fefb 7. Bonato M et al. (2024). A Digital Platform for Home-Based Exercise Prescription for Older People with Sarcopenia. Sensors (Basel, Switzerland). https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11314642/ 8. Fragala MS et al. (2019). Resistance Training for Older Adults: Position Statement From the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003230 9. Bull FC et al. (2020). World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955 10. Reid H et al. (2022). Benefits outweigh the risks: a consensus statement on the risks of physical activity for people living with long-term conditions. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8995821/ 11. Warburton DER et al. (2011). Evidence-based risk assessment and recommendations for physical activity clearance: Consensus Document 2011. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1139/h11-062 --- Source: Twikka (https://twikka.com/learn/cost-and-access). General information about physical activity, not medical advice.