Aim to be active on most, preferably all, days of the week. Aim for 150 to 300 minutes (2.5–5 hours) of moderate intensity activity or 75 to 150 minutes (1.25–2.5 hours) of vigorous intensity activity each week. You can also do a combination of both moderate and vigorous intensity activity.  

The following recommendations are for adults, and you may need to talk to your health professional before you start for personalised advice. 

For the Department of Health and Aged Care's physical activity and exericse guidelines

Click here

Remember, any exercise is better than none so if you’re just starting, you can gradually build up to the recommended amount. Many people start off too hard and then give up because they find it too demanding. Common sense is your best guide. 

When we talk about intensity with exercise, we are referring to how much effort you are putting in and how hard your body is working. 

Light intensity activity feels easy to sustain for long periods of time and your breathing is nice and relaxed, meaning you can hold a conversation. Moderate intensity activity requires some effort – you might feel yourself getting a bit warmer and your heart rate rising, but you are still able to hold a short conversation, e.g. walking briskly. For hard (or vigorous) intensity, you may find you can only talk in short sentences before getting puffed, as your breathing will feel harder and faster.  

A general guide to increasing your intensity when walking is to increase your speed and/or introduce hills/stairs. Alternatively, if you find you are working too hard and need to decrease your intensity level, walk at a slower pace and find a flat route. 

In our communications, you may notice we discuss your intensity with both a description (e.g. moderate) and a number (e.g. 4). These numbers are referring to a modified Rating of Perceived Exertion scale. This scale matches the number ratings with the effort descriptors, and it looks like this:  



When measuring your intensity, the preference is yours – you can be guided by the numbers if that makes sense for you, or simply use the words that describe your level of effort. Just make sure to always listen to your body and refer to your plan for more support. 

Absolutely! We have plans designed for people of all abilities and experience levels. When you complete the registration form, we’ll ask a bit more about your current levels of activity and your exercise history, and answering honestly will make sure the plan you get is best suited to you. Remember though, that the plan is just a guide, and you can ‘walk’ through it at your own pace. 

To make sure a walking plan is safe and appropriate for you, we encourage people who have an injury to discuss this with their health professional before signing up for a PWP. 

Our website is designed to help keep you on track. Login to your dashboard where you can easily mark off the walks, strength exercises and stretches you have completed; and achieve badges along the way for hitting certain milestones.  

You can also manually add your walks or sync certain activity trackers to your account as another way to keep track of your progress on your dashboard. To do this head to ‘Track my walks’ from your dashboard. The activity trackers that can sync to our website are Fitbit, Map my fitness and Garmin. 

Not yet – but this is something that our team is working hard on behind the scenes! We have heard the feedback from our walkers saying they would like this pause option, so watch this space! 

Definitely! Whether it’s been years or days since your last Personal Walking Plan, you are always welcome to join us again for another round if you find it helps you get moving. Simply request a new plan, complete the relevant questions, and another plan will be sent your way!  

Absolutely! Walking groups are a great way to build on your walking journey and help you maintain your new habit in the company of others. If you would like to see what walking groups are available in your area, use our search function to find your closest group. 

While our Personal Walking Plans are delivered digitally, we understand that internet access isn’t always possible - for this reason, we have created printed plans. To get a printed plan sent to you free of charge, call us on 13 11 12 or email walking@heartfoundation.org.au Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. 

What a great idea! Sharing with a friend is easy to do straight from your dashboard. Simply click the ‘Invite a friend' in the left hand side menu of your dashboard. Here you can copy the link and send to them directly or post and share on social media. This can be a great way to help motivate each other and provide some accountability! 

For your emails, first check your spam or junk folder and ensure walking@heartfoundation.org.au is on your safe sender list. For your SMS support, please check your personal details are correct on the 'My account' section of your dashboard.
If you're still not receiving messages, contact us at 13 11 12 or walking@heartfoundation.org.au so we can look into it for you.

How much you hear from us is absolutely in your control.  

If you sign up for a Personal Walking Plan, you will be sent weekly emails with your plan and links to more information. To continue to support you further, we will also send you some emails after you have completed the 6 weeks. 

All our walkers will also receive our monthly walking newsletters.  

At any time, you can update your email preferences or unsubscribe from Heart Foundation emails via links in the email footer. 

To unsubscribe from email communications, you can click the link at the base of any Heart Foundation Walking emails or contact us at walking@heartfoundation.org.au

If you would prefer not to receive our SMS’s, simply reply STOP to any message you receive from us, and we will remove you from our list. 

If you choose to share your mobile number at registration, you will be added to our SMS support journey, where we send you tips, advice and some motivational messages. These messages are scheduled to be sent at specific times along your journey. This SMS support is a two-way conversation, and we welcome you responding back to the SMS at any time to let us know how you are progressing, or to ask any questions you may have. To help our team provide you with quick and helpful replies, suggestions for our SMS responses are generated using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. While AI technology helps suggest responses to your messages, rest assured that a Heart Foundation team member is still reviewing and replying to you. 

The easiest way to register for a Heart Foundation walking group is to use our Walk finder and search by town or postcode.

When you have found the walking group that suits you best, click 'Join now' and complete the registration form. If you have any questions regarding a group, you are welcome to contact the walk organiser before or after you request to join. 

If there is no walking group in your area, why not become a volunteer walk organiser and start your own? You only need one other person to get started! As a volunteer walk organiser, you'll receive support from the Heart Foundation and, where available, a local coordinator. We'll provide training and resources to help you set up, promote, and run your group. If there's no local coordinator in your area, consider reaching out to your local council or shire to see if they'd like to get involved. 

Alternatively, you can sign up for a Personal Walking Plan and enjoy the benefits of walking at your own pace, in your own time. 

Absolutely! You’re welcome to join multiple Heart Foundation Walking groups – this will allow you to walk more frequently, meet more people and explore different areas.  Use the search to find more groups in your local area and request to join!

Some groups allow dogs, while others don’t. Check the group details on the website or contact the walk organiser to confirm their pet position. If dogs are welcome, they must be kept on a lead and under control at all times. You are responsible for any animal that accompanies you on your walk and you must at all times take reasonable steps to ensure the animal does not interfere with other walkers.

It is best to check with the walk organiser if the walk is suitable for children before bringing them along. If children attend, they must be accompanied and supervised by a parent or guardian at all times. The parent or guardian remain solely responsible for their child/children throughout the duration of the walk to help ensure the child’s safety and ensuring their behaviour contributes positively to the safety and enjoyment of the entire group.

You can log on to your online dashboard to see how many walks you’ve completed and how close you are to your next walking milestone. Alternatively, you can contact us at walking@heartfoundation.org.au.

No worries! There’s no commitment to attend every walk. Just join in whenever you can.

Yes! We love celebrating your walking milestones through our Walker Rewards program. If you’re part of a walking group, your walk organiser keeps record of your group walks and you’ll receive rewards for reaching key group walk milestones, including certificates and discount vouchers for the online shop.

A walk organiser needs to log your attendance at a group walk; they do this on their walk organiser dashboard or by sending an attendance log to Heart Foundation Walking admin. While walk organisers are encouraged to record attendance weekly, some people may do this monthly, so allow please allow 4 weeks for your walks to be updated. If after 4 weeks your group walk tally isn’t correct, please speak to your walk organiser. If you have outstanding issues after talking to your walk organiser, you can call us on 13 11 12 or email walking@heartfoundation.org.au.

Walk organisers are responsible for:

• Attending walks and welcoming new walkers.
• Promoting their group walks and encouraging people to join.
• Reporting any hazards and safety concerns to the relevant body (e.g. Council or the property owners).
• Reporting incidents, risks, near misses and safety concerns to the Heart Foundation.
• Planning the walk.
• Keeping walking group and contact details up to date.
• Submitting attendance records so your walkers can see their progress and receive rewards.

The Heart Foundation provides walk organisers with:

• Training – to help you get started and stay confident.
• Resources – You'll get access to guides, promotional materials, and tools to help you manage your group.
• Ongoing support – Your local coordinator (if available) and the Heart Foundation Walking team will be there to assist you as you run your group.

Approved walk organisers can find training and other support resources on their dashboard.

The Heart Foundation does not provide First Aid or CPR training to volunteer walk organisers, nor does it supply first aid kits. First Aid or CPR training is not a requirement to become a walk organiser. However, we do provide general safety guidance and tips and encourage all walk organisers to seek professional advice as needed.

From time to time, we offer optional CPR awareness sessions to help build confidence in responding to emergencies however, this is not formal CPR training.

The time commitment can vary depending on the group size and your availability. Generally, walk organisers commit around 1–2 hours per week to lead walks, with additional time when needed for promoting and managing the group.

Yes! You can invite others to register as a volunteer walk organiser too. We encourage team efforts, so having a few people to help with the walk logistics and administration can help make the experience more enjoyable and manageable. If you know someone who would like to support you in your role, encourage them to register as a walk organiser. Once they’ve completed the training and been approved, you will be able to add them as a secondary walk organiser for your group.

You can organise walks at a time that works for you and your group. We encourage you to pick regular walking times to help build consistency, but there’s no strict schedule – the choice is yours!

We understand that from time to time, issues or conflicts may arise within walking groups. The Heart Foundation is here to support you and can provide guidance to help you respond to concerns and work towards a positive resolution – you don’t have to manage it alone.  In rare circumstances, if a participants’ behaviour is clearly unsafe or disruptive and poses a risk to others, the walk organiser may ask them to leave the group. We recommend documenting any concerns.

The Heart Foundation maintains an insurance policy that may provide coverage for walk organisers acting as Heart Foundation volunteers, provided they meet all applicable requirements of the policy. For further details, please review the Terms and Conditions or contact us at walking@heartfoundation.org.au.

Yes! As a walk organiser, you are also a valued walker in the Heart Foundation Walking program and qualify for Walker Rewards. This means you’ll receive the same milestone rewards as other walkers based on the number of group walks you complete.

To help ensure the safety and well-being of all participants, the Heart Foundation requires volunteer walk organisers to complete a National Police History Check. This helps maintain our program as a trusted and safe initiative for all walkers.

We partner with Fit2Work (part of Equifax), a trusted screening provider. You will receive instructions via email to complete the process online. If you don’t have internet access, please contact us for support.

Yes, you can - provided it is less than five years old and meets the Heart Foundation’s requirements. Please contact us at walking@heartfoundation.org.au or call 13 11 12 to confirm if your existing check is eligible.

Yes, police checks are required every five years. The Heart Foundation will remind you when it’s time to renew, and we will cover the cost.

If you decide not to proceed, you will not be able to register as a walk organiser. However, you can still participate in a walking group as a walker, or you can walk independently using a Personal Walking Plan.

A host organisation is an entity - such as a health or community centre, council, aged care facility, shopping centre, workplace, pharmacy, or other health-related business - that partners with the Heart Foundation to establish and support walking groups in their community.

A local coordinator is a staff member nominated by the host organisation to serve as the primary contact for Heart Foundation Walking in their area. Responsibilities include:​

• Promoting the program and walking groups through existing networks.​
• Recruiting and training volunteer walk organisers.​
• Assisting in setting up new walking groups.​
• Supporting walk organisers.

The Heart Foundation offers training, resources, and assistance to local coordinators.

The information requested on the registration form is essential to allow us to administer and evaluate the program. If you have any concerns about providing any particular information, please email walking@heartfoundation.org.au or review the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement. 

You can recover your password by using the 'Forgotten password' link on the login screen. 

You can change your contact details at any time by logging in to your Heart Foundation Walking dashboard, going to ‘My account’ and selecting ‘edit’ on whatever you need to change. Alternatively, you can contact us at walking@heartfoundation.org.au