Walking is great for boosting mental wellbeing, as well as working out your body.
Walking is fantastic cardiovascular exercise that helps improves heart health, reduces the risk of chronic diseases and manages weight. It also help you keep healthy blood circulation, lowers your blood pressure and enhances lung capacity.
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You're probably hyper aware that walking is great for keeping your leg muscles strong and toned. But did you know that it also works out other, less obvious muscle groups?
What muscles does walking tone?
Legs
The most obvious muscle group that walking works is your legs. The quadriceps on the front of the thigh help straighten your knee during the swing phase of walking, while the hamstrings on the back of the thigh flex the knee.
The calf muscles, made up of the gastrocnemius and soleus, lift the heels during the push-off phase of each step.
Glutes
The gluteus maximus plays the main role in propelling the body forward and ascending steep slopes. Plus, it slows down the leg as our foot strikes the ground.
The gluteus medius and minimus help pull the leg sideways away from the body and work to keep the the pelvis stable when our bodyweight is on one leg.
Back
The muscles of the back help support the spine and maintain an upright posture while walking. They are particularly important to keep strong and healthy as we grow older, to help prevent back pain.
The erector spinae muscles are either side of the spine and run from the base of the skull down to the pelvis. They help stabilise the spine during motion and control the movements of the trunk.
Core
This group of muscles, including the abdominals and obliques, help to stabilise the pelvis and torso too, giving you good posture as you walk.
Arms
Although your lower body muscles get the greater workout, when you walk you swing your arms, engaging muscles in the shoulders (deltoids), upper arms (biceps and triceps), and forearms.
How can I work my muscles harder?
Walking at a fast pace, walking on terrain with an inclines or walking with additional weight in a backpack will help you build muscle.
Experts say that walking outdoors, rather than indoors, will give you the most well-rounded workout and help boost mental wellbeing. Moving over natural trail obstacles, such as stiles and fallen branches, will physically challenge you more than working on urban paths.
Introducing light scrambling – using your hands and feet to navigate over rocks – into your walks is a key way to engage the whole body.
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