Does Walking Hurt? Here’s 3 Ways to Make It Better
I love walking for exercise, especially outside. Fresh air, trees, birds, no screens, it’s fabulous. However, sometimes walking hurts, especially when you are over 50. When you are unaware of your posture or body mechanics when you walk, it can cause dysfunction that can lead to discomfort. The hips, hip flexors, neck, lower back, feet and legs are common areas that can feel painful when walking incorrectly.
Yoga builds strength and mobility, as well as corrects your posture and body mechanics, so that when you walk, you move with more ease and less pain. It’s also important to warm up and cool down, 2 things that many people skip.Subscribed
1. Importance of warming up as you age
Sadly, with aging comes less physical resilience. Injuries that were no big deal when we were 20 become a big deal when we’re over 50. We don’t heal nearly as quickly and little tweaks can become big setbacks.
Warming up prepares your body for what you are about to do. THIS DOES NOT MEAN STATIC STRETCHING! Sorry to yell, but it’s important to understand. So many people think that stretching is how you warm up, but it’s not. Gentle movement is how your muscles get warmer. The idea is to get more blood flowing through the muscles and move your body mindfully through a range of motion.
When your body is cold and you stretch, it’s like stretching a rubber band that has been in the freezer. You have much less elasticity and it’s easier to tear something. When you go through a range of motion slowly and gently, you encourage blood flow to the muscles and joints so that they can tolerate the exercise that you are about to do.
Foam rolling is a good way to warm up. It’s like a myofascial massage for the muscles, which is another way to prepare yourself for movement. Here’s a video I did a number of years ago that guides you through a simple foam rolling sequence:
2. Understanding body mechanics through Tadasana
Ideally when you walk, you want to be as vertical as possible. Tadasana, or Mountain Pose, gives you a solid baseline from which to start your walk. Mountain pose isn’t just standing there, Mountain pose builds leg and core strength, while helping you find that vertical alignment.
When you stand in Mountain pose, you stack your joints, rather than having a forward head or slouching, as is common when sitting at a computer or looking at your phone. You don’t want to slouch while you walk, as that will only end in pain.
Mountain pose strengthens the neck and upper back muscles so they can hold you upright without strain. It also slightly stretches the chest muscles and anterior neck so that you don’t get pulled forward into poor posture.
Stacking your hips over your ankles activates the quads, which support the knees, and activates your lower abdominals which support your lower back. When you press your feet into the floor, you engage your glutes and pelvic floor (this may take some practice), both of which support you while you walk.
From Standing to Walking
Once you’ve established your vertical posture, it’s time to move. Most of us learned to walk when we were babies, but chances are, you no longer walk with proper mechanics. This is what causes pain when you walk.
Try to feel Mountain pose in your body as you walk, maintaining the vertical alignment as you move. When you don’t use your glutes to push off as you walk, you will over work your hips flexors and/or hamstrings, and they will hurt. If your hips are leading or following you as you walk, this leads to other types of discomfort and pain.
Walking is important exercise, especially as we age, but HOW you walk is just as important as the walking itself. The video below is a short tutorial on the Mechanics of Walking.
3. Importance of cooling down
Just as you want to warm up before you walk (or do any form of exercise) you also want to cool down. Exercise like walking involves repetitive movements that strengthen muscles in your legs, hips, and back, but you don’t just want to sit down when you are done. Quickly going from movement to stillness can cause your muscles to tighten up and sometimes cramp. This is where stretching comes in.
Holding stretches for 3-8 breaths allows your muscles to lengthen out again while giving your body a chance to slow down to normal. Your body is fully warmed up so static stretching is appropriate. Be sure to breathe deeply and slowly as you stretch, relaxing into the movement, and not forcing anything.
I like to say, “don’t fight it and don’t force it.” The deeper your breathe in, the longer you can exhale and soften, melt, and relax into the stretch. This will prevent you from overdoing a stretch, or moving beyond what your body is capable of. Slow and steady wins the race here.
After walking, there are many yoga poses that stretch out the muscles you just used. If you lost your ideal body mechanics while you were walking, even a 10-15 minute yoga practice can help you feel looser and more at ease.
Check out my two Post Walk/Run Stretch sequences in the links below! These yoga sequences are specifically for cooling down after you walk.
Post Walk/Run Stretch Sequence (9 minutes)
Post Walk/Run Stretch #2 (13 minutes)
I have found that yoga is an excellent way to cross train for any sport or movement. I have worked with golfers, tennis players, triathletes, and more, and they have found yoga helps them not only physically, but mentally as well. Yoga improves focus, motivation, and encourages them to be kinder toward themselves.
Yoga and Walking in Massachusetts!
All four Saturdays in June, I’ll be leading groups to practice yoga and go walking in the woods! Will you join me? The walks start at just over 2 miles and progress to just over 4 miles over the course of 4 weeks. We’ll practice yoga before and after to warm up and cool down, while enjoying a fun walk with members of the community! Get outside and practice your walking mechanics with guidance and support. Come to 1, 2, 3, or all 4 weeks. Click the button below for more information or to sign up!
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