Workout Review: 5,000 Steps No Repeat Walking Workout with Olivia Lawson
Every once in a while, when I’m stuck inside for my daily walk, I like to step off the treadmill and try out a walk at home workout on YouTube instead. And in my quest to find my favorite instructor, I decided to try out Olivia Lawson’s 5,000 Steps No Repeat Walking Workout.
The video is set up in a clean, simple, white background—with just the instructor and a mat—with upbeat music playing in the background. As the workout begins, however, there’s a note at the bottom of the screen to point out that viewers should disregard the beat of the music and focus on steps and speed instead. And that posed the first challenge for me. If I’m doing a workout like this one—with different steps and movements—I tend to stick with the beat that’s playing. The instructor doesn’t stick with the beat in this video—in fact, her rhythm doesn’t seem very consistent. So I found myself focusing on the movements and taking my eyes off the screen.
The workout consists of a variety of different moves, typically lasting around 45 seconds per move. There’s a graphic in one corner that counts down the seconds left per move—as well as another graphic that shows the percentage of the workout that’s been completed. As the title suggests, none of the moves are repeated, which means that it doesn’t end up feeling too repetitive—but it does mean that some of the moves seem strange and sometimes rather complicated. There’s no narration here—neither for explanation or encouragement—so viewers have just a short picture-in-picture preview of the next move, which isn’t always enough. Admittedly, there were times when I gave up on the move and improvised with a move of my own.
Not all walk at home videos include narration—and getting the right balance of energy and encouragement can be difficult without going too far over the top—but I still tend to prefer the ones where the instructor offers some explanation and support. Without it, instructors sometimes seem a little awkward—not sure of how to act, where to look, and what kinds of facial expressions to make—and that’s definitely the case here.
Overall, I felt that I got a good workout from this video—especially since I did it while wearing my Bala Bands—though my watch didn’t seem to come close to tracking 5,000 steps. And, in the end, it just wasn’t especially enjoyable. Admittedly, the video is a couple of years old, so the instructor may have settled into her workouts a little more since then. But between the lack of narration and the sometimes strange moves, I found myself spending way too much time checking the on-screen graphic to see how much of the workout was left—and that’s not the way that I want to get through a workout.
Pros:
– Exercises aren’t repeated, so it doesn’t feel monotonous
– Incorporates arm movements for more of a full-body workout
– Graphics show how long left in the move as well as the percentage of the workout that’s completed
– Upbeat music
Cons:
– Doesn’t stay on beat
– No narration, encouragement
– Brief preview of moves with no explanation
– Instructor looks awkward and sometimes rather uncomfortable
– Some of the moves are complicated or just plain strange
– Step count can vary wildly
You can check out the workout below—or find more on Olivia Lawson’s YouTube channel.
