4 Simple Ways to get Walking Fit this Spring

I love going for a walk, getting out and having a needed hit of green space, experience nature and filling my lungs with fresh air. What isn’t there to love? Walking is fun, simple, free and has a multitude of benefits; from improving fitness levels to releasing endorphins and easing stress. All these make it a great first step for fitness development. 

The beauty of walking is that you can do it anywhere. Where you walk is a matter of personal preference. Some people enjoy the fresh air and scenery of outdoor walking, while others prefer the climate control and safety of walking indoors on a treadmill or at a mall. Whatever your preference, don’t get stuck in the rut of always walking in the same location. 

No matter what your preference is, the most important thing is that you walk consistently. 

Walking Techniques 

Let’s start with the basics. A proper technique in walking can make you move more effective and enjoyable while helping to prevent injuries. 

• Posture - Keep your head upright, look where you are heading. Chin should be in a neutral position, not too high or tucked in towards your chest. Your shoulders remain back and relaxed, not hunched over. Your head and neck, work with the rest of your trunk you keep you upright. Do you think your neck is doing the work? Does it ache after a walk? 
• Foot – Your feet are essential in working. Use your feet to help you spring from step to step.  Think about expecting the floor and pushing on an accelerator peddle as you push through the midfoot, onto the next step. Often, we forget our USE our feet. 
• Finding Stride - Stand upright with feet slightly apart. Lean forward at the ankles not the hips. Let that moment propel you forward. Transfer your weight forward and as you do, put your right foot out in front of you and catch yourself before you fall forward. This is your stride length. You should aim to maintain the same stride length regardless of the type of walk you do. 

• Stride – Naturally the heel will strike the ground first, followed by rolling onto the ball of your foot, finishing with a strong push off the toes. Focus on quicker rather than longer strides. Avoid slapping the ground with your feet and concentrate on a smooth rolling movement. 
• Arm Swing - This makes your walk a total body exercise. You will burn an additional calorie- hello weight management. Keep your arms relax at the elbows and swing them in step with your feet in an arc; your hands don’t need to be high, but a good arm swing can help to keep your going when things get tougher. 

Is there a weak link in your walking technique? 

Am I fit for walking? 

Walking is one of the most instinctive things we learn. That does not make it easy. 

While most emphasis needs to be placed to getting your feet and legs stronger, it’s important to remember that your body will need support too. If you carry a rucksack it will place additional strain on not just the legs, but on the back and tummy muscles. If you’re using poles then your arm muscles will need to build up strength too.  

Now before you set out to conquer the nearest mountain consider you current capabilities. Whether your able to only walk for 10 minutes or an hour, it’s important to know is that any activity you do throughout the day make a difference and will accumulate to produce real health benefits. Walking is a great low-impact exercise that can help you meet your health and fitness goals, and most of us to it constantly throughout the day already. 

You can build up a full 30-60 minutes of daily activity by doing some combination of the following: 

• Walk to work 1-2 times per week or take public transportation part of the way and walk the rest. 

• Take short brisk walk on your lunch break. 
• Go for a 10-15 minute brisk walk after meals. 
• Walk up and down stairs over the lift when you can. 
• Walk during your meetings rather than have them desk bound. 

When at home, combine walking with a variety of day to day activities to reap further benefits. For example gardening, washing the car or even ding the ironing standing up will all require strength, coordination and balance. Each helping to support further walking. 

If you're not very active but are able to walk, increase your walking distance and duration gradually. As always listening to your body, don’t be afraid to make things harder if your finding all walks easy. 

Perhaps you're concerned about your joints or know that walking- for now, isn’t an option. But what about getting in water?! The water provides extra support while you move and helps strengthen your muscles. Simply walking lengths or participating in a class will build strength and endurance, whilst maintaining support. 

Going up hill 

Training your legs and body for hill walking is critical, even if you aren’t planning on a route that is particularly hilly or long, strengthening your legs will help prevent injuries whatever the terrain. 

Do you need a hill to train on? No! If you don’t have easy access to the hills, then try to use what is accessible and achievable. Steps, a treadmill, or even garden/road inclines will work. Anything that can provide an incline will be beneficial. If you’re using a treadmill, increase the incline setting gradually until you have it on the maximum setting. 

Its also worth considering adding supporting exercises, not you not just walking 24/7. Fitness centres, Physio therapist and classes -like our Strong class provide exercises beyond steps, aimed at strengthening your legs in ALL movement. With strength comes stability, power and endurance; everything you need to take a plod to hike! 

One exercise to help walking? 

As walking to so natural to us, we often do it without thinking. It’s not until injury or pain where we find this natural flow becomes a lot more focused, challenging and frustrating. 

The biggest thing we forget when approaching walking is to only train in one direction. But it is multidirectional. Stepping to the side to avoid a dreaded pothole, transfer your weight to one laterally to manoeuvre on uneven ground or stepping backwards to not bump into someone. Practising this transition will develop great foot control, awareness, and connection through the whole leg. Watch as you balance improves too. 

Simply imagine standing in the middle of a clock. Keep one foot in the centre step the other leg forwards to 12 o’clock , transfer your weight onto the midfoot, stick and push back to the start. Next step one foot to the side ( 3 or 9 o clock), transfer your weight onto that foot-avoid pushing your hip out or rolling your foot. Stick and push back to start. Lastly, keeping your hips facing forwards. Turn one foot so those toes point to the side, step on to this foot, transferring your weight onto the midfoot, keeping those hips still. Stick and without sinking into the knee push back. 

 Be sure to stick your step with control, increasing the speed to make things harder. 

Need some help?

If you would like to get back into walking, want to improve your mobility, or get fitter and stronger, but aren't sure where to start, or you have pains and niggles getting in the way, then give us a call on 01548 852 355 or contact [email protected].uk to find out how we can help you get the best out of your body, so you can live a happy, active and pain-free life!

Happy walking,

Abbie

and the HealthHub Team

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