Regular walking calls for specific exercises to boost your fitness level: Here are the top three workouts recommended by a personal trainer.
Walking, often considered a simple form of exercise, plays a significant role in maintaining overall mobility and supporting healthy aging. According to Louis Chandler, the head trainer at Alo Moves, strengthening stabilizing muscles through walking can help prevent falls as we age.
Over time, walking builds endurance and resiliency, not just inside the gym, but also outside. It enhances body awareness by reinforcing good posture, stride mechanics, and mindful movement. This low-impact, accessible exercise is effective for maintaining overall mobility, making it one of the most underrated forms of movement.
To support walking muscles, Louis Chandler recommends the top three exercises to stretch and strengthen the lower body. These exercises can be done with a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells, but can also be done with filled water bottles or a backpack in a pinch.
1. **Calf Stretch**: Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds on each side, 2-3 sets. This stretch helps improve flexibility and range of motion in the calf muscles, which are crucial for walking. Keeping the calves flexible helps maintain a smooth, balanced stride, allowing you to walk longer distances comfortably and efficiently. Tight calves can negatively affect gait mechanics and may contribute to discomfort in the knees or lower back.
2. **Romanian Deadlift**: Perform 2-3 sets of 8-10 repetitions. This exercise targets the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, building strength in key muscles necessary for walking stability and power. Romanian deadlifts reinforce the hip hinge movement pattern, which is essential for protecting the lower back and promoting healthy posture.
3. **Weighted March**: Complete 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps on each side, holding weights by your sides. This dynamic exercise improves core stability, balance, and coordination while mimicking the walking gait with added resistance. Weighted march exercises train the body to walk better under load, building endurance and control, reducing fatigue, and improving overall walking performance.
The weighted marches are particularly effective because they engage the hips and core, helping reduce fatigue by building endurance and control over the walking motion. Stretching the calves regularly supports ankle mobility, which is key for stability during walking.
Walking can be surprisingly effective at helping you build strength, tone, and endurance in your muscles. By incorporating these exercises into your routine, you can enhance your walking performance, reduce the risk of falls, and support healthy aging.
Incorporating the exercises recommended by Louis Chandler, such as calf stretches, Romanian deadlifts, and weighted marches, can supplement and enhance a walker's fitness regimen, strengthening the muscles necessary for safe and efficient walking. By regularly stretching the calves, targeting the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back with the Romanian deadlift, and improving core stability and balance through weighted marches, individuals can foster improved mobility and decrease the risk of falls as they age, further supporting their health and wellness in the realm of fitness and exercise.
