A healthy living blog from Marshfield Clinic Health System

Video: Amp up your walking or warmup routine

Do you want to add some excitement to your morning walk beyond dodging mud puddles? Is your warmup leaving you unprepared for your workout or not fending off injuries?

Liven up your program

If you answered, ‘Yes,” try putting some pep in your step with these moves that will make walking more fun and beneficial.

You’ll improve your strength, flexibility and balance, and you’ll decrease your chances of experiencing back, knee, hip and ankle pain, said Marshfield Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Dr. Jim Mullen.

 

[button-watermelon url=”https://shine365.marshfieldclinic.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Amp-up-your-walking.pdf” target=”blank” position=”center”]DOWNLOAD EXERCISES TO AMP UP YOUR WALKING[/button-watermelon]

Besides trying the moves in the video, combine any arm and leg movements on this list for an invigorating workout or warmup. Some of the moves may feel a bit funny, but they work.

Walking variations

  • Toes pointed in/out
  • Walking on heels/toes
  • Backward
  • Sideways
  • Crossover steps
  • Wide steps
  • Narrow steps (heel-toe)
  • Balance for 3 seconds mid-step
  • Carioca
  • Skipping
  • Galloping
  • Tempo changes
  • Incline/decline

Arm variations

  • Elbow pumps
  • Overhead (straight up or V shape)
  • Backstroke
  • Front stroke
  • Arm circles
  • Figure 8
  • Side-to-side (same direction or opposite directions)
  • Push-pull
  • Freestyle

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