Walking is one of the easiest and best ways to move your body. It helps you stay fit, manage stress, and keeps your bones strong. But sometimes, putting on your shoes and heading out the door isn’t so easy if you’re dealing with aches and pains in your muscles and joints.
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Often, discomfort while walking comes down to needing a little more flexibility or strength in the right places. The good news? A few simple exercises before and after your stroll can make a world of difference, transforming your walk from a chore into a comfortable activity you look forward to. Think of it as giving your body’s ‘walking system’ a quick tune-up.
According to physiotherapist Helen O’Leary, walking relies heavily on the joints and muscles of your hips, knees, and ankles. If these areas aren’t moving smoothly or aren’t strong enough, you’re likely to feel it. The solution? Target those areas directly.
This is where exercises focusing on strength, mobility, and balance come in. Pilates, for example, is a low-impact option that can seriously improve how you walk. It helps build leg strength, which is crucial for a smooth stride.
Person demonstrating supported deep squat
Beyond just your legs, your core muscles around your stomach and back play a big role in walking stability. You might not realize it, but they’re working to keep you balanced with every step. Pilates is well-known for teaching how to engage these deep core muscles, improving your overall stability and control while you walk. Plus, for longer walks or if your fitness is improving, exercises that help with breath control, another aspect covered in practices like Pilates, can be incredibly useful.
Quick Exercises Before Your Walk
Ready to make your next walk feel easier? If you’re not used to a lot of movement, doing a few quick exercises before you head out can prep your body. Here are three simple moves recommended by experts:
1. Supported Deep Squat
This helps open up your hips and ankles, which are key for a comfortable stride.
- How to do it: Stand with feet wider than your hips. Hold onto something sturdy like a banister or counter. Push your hips back and bend your knees, lowering yourself as far as feels comfortable, aiming for a deep squat. Your heels might lift – that’s okay, especially if you’re holding on.
- Hold: 30 seconds
- Sets: 1
- Tip: Gently rock side to side while holding the squat to encourage more hip mobility.
Person demonstrating calf raise exercise
2. Calf Raise
Strong calves are essential for propelling you forward as you walk.
- How to do it: Stand facing a wall, lightly touching it with your fingertips for balance. Slowly raise up onto your tiptoes, lifting your heels off the floor.
- Hold: Briefly at the top for one second.
- Lower: Slowly lower your heels back down.
- Reps: 15
- Sets: 1
- Challenge: If 15 feel easy, try doing 15 on one leg, then switch sides.
Person demonstrating leg swing exercise
3. Leg Swing
Loosen up your hips with gentle swinging motions.
- How to do it: Stand sideways next to a wall and place one hand on it for support. Swing your outside leg forward and backward in a controlled motion. Keep your knee slightly bent. Allow your pelvis to rotate naturally with the movement.
- Reps: 10-15 on each side
- Sets: 1
Recovery Moves After Your Walk
Once you’ve finished your walk, these stretches can help your muscles recover and maintain the mobility you’re building.
1. Hip Stretch
This targets the front of your hip, an area that can get tight from walking.
- How to do it: Kneel on your left knee, stepping your right foot forward. Tuck your tailbone slightly under your body. You should feel a stretch at the front of your left thigh. Lean forward slightly from your hips to deepen the stretch if comfortable.
- Hold: 10-15 seconds
- Sets: 3 on each side (complete all sets on one side before switching).
Person demonstrating seated glute stretch on a chair
2. Seated Glute Stretch
Ease tension in your glutes and outer hips.
- How to do it: Sit on the edge of a chair. Place your right ankle on your left knee. You should feel a stretch in your right glute area. For a deeper stretch, hinge forward slightly from your hips, keeping your back relatively straight.
- Hold: 10-15 seconds
- Sets: 3 on each side (complete all sets on one side before switching).
Person on hands and knees demonstrating 'thread the needle' exercise
3. Thread the Needle
Improve flexibility and rotation in your upper back and shoulders, which supports better walking posture.
- How to do it: Start on your hands and knees. Slide your right hand and arm under your left arm and body, rotating your torso until your right shoulder is close to the floor.
- Return: Rotate your torso the other way and reach your right hand straight up towards the ceiling.
- Reps: 5-6 smooth movements on each side
- Sets: 1
Why Bother? The Benefits of Walking Comfortably
You might wonder if adding exercises is worth the effort just for walking. Consider this: making walking easier and more comfortable means you’re more likely to do it regularly. And the benefits of walking are huge. Research, like a 2023 study published in GeroScience, highlights walking as a “powerful anti-aging intervention.” It’s linked to a lower risk of serious diseases, improved sleep, and better mental health.
By spending just a few minutes before and after your walk on these targeted movements, you can potentially reduce pain, improve how your body moves, and enjoy all the fantastic health benefits that walking has to offer for years to come. It’s a small time investment for a major upgrade to your daily movement.
