Walking is undeniably less popular than running, but it’s just as effective for staying in shape.
Walking is a great way to burn calories and work your muscles, joints, tendons and cardiorespiratory system. To get the best health results from walking, however, you need to observe certain best practices.
How can I maintain a healthy lifestyle by walking?
Find all our tips for healthy walking.
Good walking practice
Whether you’re an occasional or an intensive walker, there are a few tips to help you make the most of this sport.
Managing pain
Walking injuries are rare, unless you bump into someone or something, or trip and fall. However, walking for too long can cause pain in the feet. Most of the time, the most painful areas are the soles of the feet and the legs.
When these areas become painful while walking, you can take a short break of 5 to 10 minutes for a 30-minute session. You should also check that your shoes are not the cause of the pain, particularly blisters or scratches.
If you suffer from aches and pains, we strongly recommend massaging your aching muscles with a balm Relax to soothe the pain and promote blood circulation.
Session length and frequency
For walking to be effective, it’s advisable to walk for 150 minutes a week at a moderate pace. You can divide your sessions into 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week.
It’s also possible to divide up the times to suit your daily schedule. For example, you could walk for 10 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening. Health specialists believe that walking at a brisk pace for an average of 10 minutes several times a day is a good way to exercise the cardiovascular system.
Note that you can also do more intensive walking, for example, by hiking or trekking on steep trails. In this case, it’s important to start gently on terrain suitable for beginners.
Exercise your muscles while walking
As walking is a moderately intense activity, you need to activate your body before you start. So, while you don’t need to warm up too intensely, you do need to stimulate the muscles before the effort. To do this, simply start walking slowly for 5 minutes, so that your muscles and joints are well prepared for the session itself.
During the session, listen to your body. Do you feel out of breath? This is a good sign, as it means you’re putting in enough effort. However, if you feel tired or sore, don’t hesitate to take a break or adjust your pace.
Why walk?
Walking is a sports activity with many benefits:
It’s accessible to everyone
The first advantage of walking is that it’s accessible to everyone. Whether you’re young or old, and whatever your physical condition, walking is within your reach. What’s more, it doesn’t require expensive equipment apart from good walking shoes and a hat to protect you from the sun in summer.
People who have suffered an injury or are recovering from rehabilitation are generally encouraged to resume a gentle sports activity such as walking.
A low-risk activity for your health
Walking is a sport with very low risk of injury. In general, they occur in people who have not practised sport for a long time and who are returning to intensive walking, and in those with weak muscles.
Walking is good for mental health
A study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research in 2011 highlighted the impact of walking on mental health. Walking for 30 minutes a day has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression by 36%.
Walking is therefore a good way to keep both in shape physically and mentally.
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