A fitness expert suggests these six exercises to reduce discomfort in your joints while walking.
Walking is an essential yet often underappreciated form of exercise, offering numerous benefits like weight loss, stress reduction, and improved bone health. However, pain or discomfort while walking can hinder one's motivation to stay active.
Physiotherapist Helen O'Leary, the founder of Complete Pilates, explains that problems while walking are often due to a lack of mobility or strength in the hip, knee, and ankle joints. Fortunately, strengthening and stretching these areas can alleviate such issues.
O'Leary suggests that Pilates, a low-impact workout promoting strength, mobility, and balance, could be a valuable solution. "Pilates is excellent for improving leg strength and the mobility of lower limb joints," she says.
The core muscles, located in and around the midsection, are engaged during walking too. Pilates, being a workout that strengthens the core, can boost one's stability and control.
Additionally, Pilates aids in improving breath control, which can be essential when not accustomed to long periods of activity.
O'Leary offers three exercises to perform before and after a walk, aimed at increasing the lower body's strength and mobility. By incorporating these exercises into a walking routine, individuals can enhance their walking experience and alleviate pain or discomfort.
- Deep Squat: Stand wider than hip-width apart and lower into a squat as far as your flexibility allows. Hold the position for some time, gently rocking side-to-side to improve hip mobility.
- Calf Raise: Stand near a wall, raise onto your toes, hold, then lower. Do 15 repetitions, and, if easy, try single-leg calf raises on each side.
- Leg Swing: Stand sideways to a wall, gently swing your outside leg forward and back with a bent knee. Repeat 10-15 times on each side.
Three post-walk exercises for targeted stretching and relaxation include a hip stretch, seated glute stretch, and thread the needle exercise.
Though walking has numerous benefits, integrating Pilates into a walking routine can enhance these advantages, providing a more comfortable and enjoyable exercise experience. It encourages proper body alignment, strengthens the core, increases flexibility, improves joint mobility, enhances balance, and encourages mindful movement and breath control.
Engaging in Pilates, a low-impact workout, can be beneficial for individuals experiencing pain or discomfort while walking, as it strengthens and improves the mobility of lower limb joints like the hip, knee, and ankle. By performing post-walk exercises, such as the hip stretch, seated glute stretch, and thread the needle exercise, one can further help relax and stretch the lower body, thus enhancing their mental health and overall health-and-wellness, especially in the realm of fitness-and-exercise, since Pilates also encourages mindful movement and breath control, making the walking experience more comfortable and enjoyable.
