Improved Flexibility: Best Stretches To Do Before Walking

Improved Flexibility: Best Stretches To Do Before Walking
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If you’re a walker, you know that walking is good for your body. But all that walking can also take its toll on your body. If you don’t prepare properly for your walk, you could be setting yourself up for injuries and discomfort. That’s where stretching comes in.

Stretching can help prevent injuries by increasing your range of motion and flexibility, which will boost your overall mobility and avoid injury while walking. Stretching is also one of the best ways to warm up before a workout or race — it increases blood flow and prepares muscles for action, which helps reduce risk of injury while exercising.

To get the most out of a walk and ensure that you’re stretching properly, here are three stretches every walker should do before hitting the road:

  1. Hamstring stretch: Start with both feet on the ground and one leg extended behind you so that it’s parallel with the floor. Bend forward at the waist until you feel mild tension in your hamstrings (back of thighs). Hold for 10 seconds; repeat 3 times on each leg.
  2. Quadriceps stretch: This is another one that’s hugely popular in sports circles because it helps improve mobility in your hips, which is important for runners or anyone who does a lot of walking or running on pavement or concrete surfaces. To do this stretch, stand with one foot forward and one foot back, keeping both knees bent at 90 degrees. Then lean forward until you feel a moderate stretch in front of your rear knee (your quadriceps). Hold this position for 30 seconds before switching legs.
  3. Butterfly stretch: The butterfly stretch is a great way to open up your hips and groin area so you can walk more comfortably. Lying on your back with both legs extended, grab the outside of one leg with both hands and pull it toward your chest until you feel a stretch in your inner thigh. Hold this position for 30 seconds or longer if possible, and then repeat on the other side.

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Anna is an avid blogger with an educational background in medicine and mental health. She is a generalist with many other interests including nutrition, women's health, astronomy and photography. In her free time from work and writing, Anna enjoys nature walks, reading, and listening to jazz and classical music.

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