Why Walking More Won’t Make Walking Easier (& What Actually Does)

Dr. Alyssa Kuhn, arthritis expert, walks us through it:

A step in the right direction

The thing with walking is that it won’t challenge your body any more than walking already does (what with it being the same thing), and your body will “waste” resources on improving something that appears to already be doing the job adequately (bearing in mind, the body has a very low standard of “adequately”).

So, instead, let’s shake it up a bit:

• Side-to-side weight shifts: stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and shift your hips and weight from one side to the other, to warm up your hips and prepare for walking.
• Side-to-side weight shifts with heel lifts: shift your weight further onto each leg, while lifting the opposite heel, to warm up your ankles and lower legs.
• Forwards and backwards rocking: stagger your feet, with one in front of the other, and rock your weight forwards and backwards by lifting first your toes and then your heel.
• Forwards steps: take two steps forwards with one foot, then two with the other, alternating sides.
• Backwards steps: alternate two steps backwards with each foot to strengthen your hip muscles, improve mobility, and help you take longer steps. increase the step size or speed to make it harder, or shorten your steps and slow down to make it easier.
• Alternating side steps: step sideways in alternating directions, to strengthen your outer hip muscles, which help support your hips, knees, and ankles, prevent limping, and improve walking endurance.
• Heel lifts and toe lifts: alternate lifting your heels and then your toes, to strengthen your lower legs and shin muscles, helping you pick up your feet, clear obstacles, and reduce stumbling, tripping, and shuffling.
• Supported hip hinge: place both hands on a sturdy support, step back slightly with your arms relatively straight, soften your knees, and push your hips backwards before standing tall. This works hip mobility, back strength, core stability, and the backs of your legs.
• Cool-down and hip circles: repeat gentle side-to-side weight shifts and heel lifts, slow your breathing, and circle your hips in both directions within a comfortable range. finish by rolling your shoulders back and resetting your posture.

As ever, do them often, for the best results.

For more on all of this plus visual demonstrations, enjoy;

Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!

Want to learn more?

You might also like:

Should You Prioritize Walking Farther Or Walking More Often?

Take care!