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Walking troubleshooting

Walking is the simplest form of exercise you can take - you just put one foot in front of the other! But there are a few tweaks to your walking technique that can help you get more out of your walking, burn more calories, minimise your risk of aches and pains, and just make the whole experience a lot more enjoyable

From The Step Counter Diet® by Joanna Hall (Copyright © 2004 Thorsons Publishing). All rights reserved. Reproduced here by permission of the publisher.

Walking technique

Keep your head up: Keep your eyeline looking ahead as you walk, so you avoid always looking down on the floor in front of you. This decreases neck strain and improves posture - you want to see improvements in the future so keep looking ahead and stop looking down! In bright light or drizzling rain it is common to tilt your head down to avoid the glare or the wet. To improve your walking posture, wear sunglasses or a hat so you can keep you chin up and parallel to the ground.

Rock and roll: For a more efficient, less jarring stride, visualise your feet as rockers on a rocking chair. Start each step on the heel and rock your foot forward until you roll onto your toes. Pick up your speed so you're rolling the foot with each stride.

Warm up slowly: Five minutes of easy walking can help you log more miles by warming up your muscles before a workout. Wrap up with five minutes of easy walking and you'll finish with a more enjoyable impression of your workout, making you less likely to skip it tomorrow.

Tips to avoid aches and pains

As you start your walking programme you may come across a few little niggles in your body. This is quite normal and to be expected if you are new to exercise. However, to keep you walking stronger and longer and burning more energy try these little tips to avoid common problems:

Avoid shin pain - the foot roll: Standing with your feet almost together roll up onto your toes, hold for two seconds and roll back down. Then roll onto the outside of your feet, hold both for two seconds and roll back down. Next roll onto your heels with the toes off the ground, hold for two seconds and roll back down. Do this sequence 10 times before every walk.

Avoid knee pain - the straight leg raise: Sit on the ground with your leg extended in front of you, right leg bent and right foot flat on the ground. Place your hands behind you and sit up straight. With your left foot flexed, contract your left thigh and raise your leg 6-12 inches off the floor. Hold for five seconds and then lower. Do ten lifts, and then switch sides. Perform the sequence two to four times a week.

Avoid leg aches - the hip and calf stretch: Standing with your feet together, step your right foot in front of you about three to four feet so both feet are pointing forward. Bend your right knee so it is just above but not in front of your right foot. Check both big toes are facing forward. Keep your left leg straight and your left heel on the ground to feel a stretch in your left calf. Flatten your lower back and tuck your pelvis so that you also feel a stretch in the front of your hip. Hold for four to seven slow deep breaths, release and repeat on the other side. Stretch each leg two times after each walk.

Avoid sore calves - the calf stretch: Stand close to a tree or lamppost and place the ball of your foot on the post or trunk so the heel is still on the ground but the ball of the foot is resting up on the post. Bend the knee towards the post; you should feel the stretch in the lower part of the calf. Hold for 10-15 seconds and repeat twice on each side. Do this at the end of each walk.

Avoid upper arm tension - the upper body stretch: Stand with your feet about shoulder-distance apart and raise your right arm over your head, bending your elbow so your right hand is behind your head. Place your left hand on your right elbow and gently pull your elbow to the left, allowing your upper body to bend slightly to the left. Hold for four to seven deep breaths, release and repeat on the other side. Stretch each side two times after every walk.

Buy Joanna Hall's book, Step Counter Diet

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