At the peak of my weight-loss journey last year, my coach suggested I amp up my average daily step count to 18,000 per day—nearly double the generally accepted normal human goal of 10,000. It wasn't easy, but I managed to do it, and that bump helped break through a plateau I'd been sitting at for months. Turns out, low-impact steady state cardio like walking is great for fat loss. You know what else taking 18,000 steps a day is great for? Churning through audio programming like podcasts and audiobooks. And if you're looking for something new to accompany you on a many-hour trek through the mountains, across the plains, or on a treadmill to nowhere, there's a brand new type of podcast to encourage you along the way. Today, Apple announced the launch of Time to Walk, part of its Fitness+ programming. 

Time to Walk is an audio series that features celebrity narratives, incorporating storytelling, music, and photos (displayed on your Apple Watch). Its first four episodes star legendary country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton; NBA player Draymond Green; musician Shawn Mendes; and Emmy Award-winning actor Uzo Aduba. 

"Walking is the most popular physical activity in the world, and one of the healthiest things we can do for our bodies," said Jay Blahnik, Apple’s senior director of Fitness Technologies, in a statement. "A walk can often be more than just exercise: It can help clear the mind, solve a problem, or welcome a new perspective.

"Even throughout this challenging period of time, one activity that has remained available to many is walking," he said. "With Time to Walk, we’re bringing weekly original content to Apple Watch in Fitness+ that includes some of the most diverse, fascinating, and celebrated guests offering inspiration and entertainment to help our users keep moving through the power of walking."

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The first four episodes, available to Fitness+ users in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand, are available to download in the app now and run between 25 to 38 minutes each. At the end of each Time to Walk episode, the narrator introduces a musical "playlist of songs that has given them motivation and inspiration." 

Dolly Parton's playlist includes three of her classics: "9 to 5," "Coat of Many Colors," and "Circle of Love."

"I’ve loved walking ever since I was a little girl in the Smoky Mountains,” Parton said in a statement. “I think it’s so important to be able to get out and walk if we can during this time. I do my best thinking when I walk. And while many of us feel confined during this time, I’m hopeful that people will take a walk down memory lane with me and we can all feel a little more freedom taking the time to walk together."