Walk this way:

Maximise your workout for body and soul

Philosopher Henry David Thoreau’s most meaningful essay was about walking. To put it mildly, he was obsessed. “Every walk is a sort of crusade,” he proclaimed. Without walking, he said he could not preserve his health or sprits. He also couldn’t write. For Thoreau, walking was not just a physical act, but a spiritual one too. And today, science has caught up with his musings, as more and more data stacks up on the side of walking being one of the best things you can do for your health and mind.

“It has a plethora of physical and mental benefits,” says Mairead Hallissey, a physiotherapist at Melbourne’s BalanceNorth, noting that research shows it can help manage chronic disease, reduce the risk of some cancers and lower blood sugar too. It’s also readily accessible, low-cost and is forgiving to our joints and poses less injury risk than other forms of exercise. “Even better, walking at a brisk pace can provide health benefits similar to running,” says Mairead. “It’s one of the most underrated forms of cardiovascular exercise.” Now we know you know how to walk. But there are some easy ways to take the simple act of getting from A to B on foot, and transform it into a meaningful event for your body and brain.

Here’s how.

Buddy up

If you’re struggling with motivation or can’t fit everything in to a busy schedule, combine socialising with exercise. “Working out with a friend has many benefits that include enhancing consistency, duration and motivation,” says Mairead. And science backs it up: a meta-study compiled by the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that people who engage in outdoor walking groups have significant improvements in blood pressure, resting heart rate, body fat, BMI percentages and lung function. Social walkers were also significantly less depressed too. In good news, you’re also likely to work harder: the Köhler Effect is the idea in behavioural science that no-one wants to be the weakest link in a group. When it comes to working out, that means you may find a competitive edge you did not know you had. “Seeing what others are capable of doing will inspire you to do more,” says Mairead.

Chase beauty

While any walking you do is valuable, “we know that natural or ‘green views’ and water-based ‘blue views’ are good for us,” says Dr Ruth Allen, a psychotherapist and author of Grounded. “They are calming for our minds and bodies, restorative of our attention and can in some cases act as a natural painkiller.” This is backed up by science: according to the Green Exercise Research Team at the University of Essex, natural vistas have been shown to help us recover from fatigue, enhance cognition, reduce stress levels and generate an overall improvement in mental wellbeing.

Healthy habits

Most of us know the importance of stretching after we exercise, but you can reduce your risk of injury and improve athletic performance further by warming up too. “The warm-up allows your body temperature to rise slowly and is a chance to target the muscles and joints that you’re about to use,” Mairead says. Walk gently for a few minutes and once your body doesn’t feel cold, complete these dynamic mobility exercises.

Ankle circles: Stand on one leg and raise the other leg and slowly rotate your ankle in one direction eight times and then repeat on the other ankle.

Hip circles: Standing on both legs, gently rotate your hips to move your pelvis in a circle.

Repeat eight times in one direction and then repeat in the opposite direction.

Leg swings: Stand on one leg and hold onto chair/ wall for support. Move the other leg to the front and back and then side and back, repeat this movement eight times and then repeat on the other leg.

Walking lunges: Walk 10m in alternating lunges.

Don’t coast

Ensure your walking continues to build cardiovascular fitness by increasing the challenge. In addition to increasing steps, vary the terrain on your routes (head for the hills!), and add some upper-body exercises with hand weights such as bicep curls or shoulder presses. “Even just holding the hand weights will increase your walking intensity,” says Mairead Hallissey. Another clever way to boost the benefits of your walk is to interval train. “Walk at a comfortable pace for one minute and then at a faster pace for the same amount of time, and then repeat,” says Mairead, “We burn the most calories by repeatedly raising and lowering our heart rate.” For added motivation, sync your intervals with your playlist, choosing a track with a faster cadence followed by one with a slower beat. “This is a fun and easy way to make your usual walk an interval workout.”

Protect your ankles

“Comfortable shoes are the only equipment needed for walking, but it’s worth spending some time to find the right pair, as the wrong shoe can lead to injury and pain,” says Mairead, who recommends having both feet measured for size. “If one foot is bigger, go for the bigger size and add an insole to the smaller foot,” she says. As a general rule, try shoes on for 10 minutes to be sure they’re comfortable and replace them every 800km or four months if walking most days.