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Walk for joy

April 27, 2020 by Vicki Aldridge, GOsC Registered Osteopath

Our body likes to move! Almost 60% of our body is made up of fluids, and movement help those fluids to move and flow. This includes the blood circulation, our lymphatic/immune system, our breathing/respiration, digestion system and every joint in our body, particularly synovial joints. As one of my peers succinctly put it "movement is life if you don’t move you die". So, it’s kind of important to move!

Like most things with the body it’s all about balance; homeostasis. You need to move just enough, to be as fit as you need to be, to do the activities your life demands. Too little and you aren’t physically fit enough for your demands of the day, so you can easily over use and strain your body pushing it beyond its natural capabilities. However too much exercise when you aren’t fit enough can also strain and wear your body out too soon.

Even arthritic joints need to move. Arthritis often refer to wear and tear of a joint, however, it actually translates as inflammation of the joint (arthro- means joint and -itis means inflammation). It’s worth noting you can have wear and tear of a joint without it being inflamed. It can be asymptomatic but still worn, meaning its weak and vulnerable. The best thing is to keep using it, at a comfortable level, particularly to maintain the joint stabilising muscles. Often a worn joint only becomes actively inflamed when/if it is traumatised. Unfortunately, the wear and tear in the joint means it has less tolerance and becomes traumatised more easily.  So, with arthritis you still need to move and often feel better for the movement but it’s best to do it little and often, and at a low level.

Walking is one of the best rhythmical activities we can do. It is ‘free’, and should be available to us all at some level, even if it means just walking around the garden. There is a lot of research that shows walking in nature has many health benefits, however you should build up your levels gradually and always feel physically comfortable doing it. Ideally aim for a reasonable distance every day. Remember we are looking at the long-term gain rather than short term achievement. This is hopefully about finding a sustainable level of exercise not just continually increasing your levels indefinitely.  With regular exercise we don’t always enjoy it while we are doing it, especially if the weather isn’t good, however you usually feel much better afterwards, and it has great long-term health benefits.  As long as you don’t try and walk too far or too fast. For those with musculoskeletal pain or in rehabilitation walking is still good but just remember limping isn’t walking!

Like all exercise techniques is key. It’s not what you do it’s how you do it. 

Walking technique

  1. Start your walking exercise by standing well; balanced and energetic as we discussed previously; your feet hip width apart with your evenly weight distributed, toes facing straight ahead (ideally so your knees are pointing to your second toe as long as It doesn’t cause pain, if it does ease the position until its more comfortable) and soften your knees.
  2. Take a deep breath to bring your chest up, and bring your energy up, then start walking at a comfortable pace. Don’t try and take a big first stride. Aim small and build up.
  3. Then you need to find a rhythm and gait that suits you today.  Your aim is to find a purposeful and energetic walk but you don’t have to start there. 
Once you feel comfortable you can then have fun by challenging yourself and your walking style/ rhythm such as;
  1. Play with speed; walk faster for a set number of steps, and then walk slower for a set number of steps, and settle at the comfortable rhythmical speed, and don't forget to breath. This can be repeated until you are sure you are comfortable which can vary from day to day so investigate and play with it.
  2. Energise your different joints of your body by systematically adding more energy (ideally between 10-75%) for a few steps until it feels comfortable and free; for example focus on your ankles then, your knees, your hips joints/groin area, your waist, your shoulders, your elbows, your wrists and even your tongue and jaw. Feel free to get more detailed depending on your anatomy knowledge and how far you are walking....then relax into a comfortable rhythmical walk, and breath.
  3. Energise or lead with different zones of your body for a number of steps, such as your left shoulder, then your right shoulder, your left hip, then your right hip, then relax into a comfortable rhythmical walk, and breath.
  4. Walk backward to a number of steps, remember to stay upright/ don’t lean forward, take a deep breath and then spring forward into a comfortable rhythmical walk, and breath.
  5. Walk sideways, or diagonally and gradually increase the angle, for a number of steps, then forward into a comfortable rhythmical walk, and breath.
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Always remember while you are walking you looking for balance, rhythm, relaxation, energy in pace, stance and breathing…
Remember it should be comfortable and enjoyable experience, and never ever painful!
Ideally stop before you get tired and lose ‘form’!
If you need some help with rhythm and pace you can always listen to some suitable music!

 
 
These exercises can easily be extrapolated for runners and more energetic walkers.
 
Once you have been for a walk don’t just sit down afterwards for a long periods because you will quickly and easily stiffen. By all means sit down well and not for too long! And remember to keep hydrated.

As I said before walking is a good rhythmical exercise, like cycling and or swimming. However, coordination exercises are good too, such as sports like bowling, tennis, golf, exercise classes, Pilates, yoga, dance. Walking is a good way to get fit to do these coordination exercises. Remember it’s not what you do it’s how you do it, be fit enough before you aim too high and take these skills into life.


As always something is better than nothing but if you don’t try it will never improve! I would rather you start by underestimating your ability and build up to a sustainable level than overdo it, hurt yourself and lose confidence. At the end of the day there are no rules just guidelines.

Good luck and have fun.

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