When you have been for a walk, do you stretch afterwards? Do you need to stretch, because just walking isn’t like a workout is it? 

When you go for a walk, it may involve hill climbing, descents, uneven terrain or just uneven footpaths. All of this movement requires you to have strong legs, hips and core so that you can stay upright and balanced when you have to alter your stride, balance on one foot when you step up or down, or over objects, or maneuver around obstacles safely. 

This requires your feet, ankles, calf muscles, and hamstrings and quads to all work well with good flexibility. Your hip muscles need to strong and well balanced and your core muscles active to give you the necessary support. 

If you do not stretch regularly, you risk muscles becoming tight with reduced range of movement. If you become unbalanced in your muscle flexibility, you risk muscles that should move you becoming too weak to carry out the task, and muscles that should give support are forced to take over the job of moving you. This causes imbalances throughout your body and can lead to pain and discomfort and reduced mobility. 

By simply doing a few stretches after your daily walk, you can ensure that you maintain your flexibility and a good range of movement.

If you sit for long periods each day you also risk stiffening up and not being able to move so well. Set a timer to remind you to get up and move and do a few stretches for a few minutes every hour or so, preventing you from becoming stiff and tight. 

Myfitnesspal has put up a good article about the benefits of stretching regularly, particularly after a walk, and how this can prevent you losing your flexibility. To  read the full article, published on  22 May click HERE