7 Common Walking Mistakes
Your body was designed to walk!
It keeps your joints lubricated, your cardiovascular system strong, your metabolism working, and your brain sharp. Research following more than 110,000 people found that walking around 8,700 steps a day cuts the risk of dying from any cause by 60% compared to walking just 2,000 steps. The same study linked roughly 7,100 daily steps to a 51% reduction in heart disease risk.
Last week, I was delighted when I picked up “WALK,” a new book by Drs. Courtney Conley and Milica McDowell. It discusses exactly what I discovered back then… walking is a physiological necessity, not just a form of exercise.
It felt a bit like Déjà vu.
Back in 1992, I launched WalkFit, a walking program with music and coaching. Women from across the country tried the program and wrote in by the thousands….they lost 50, 80, 100 pounds. Their blood pressure dropped. Their A1C numbers came down. Depression lifted. Anxiety quieted. They talked about feeling like themselves again, fitting back into clothes they’d boxed up and forgotten, feeling strong and yes… sexy!
Here’s the catch… there are certain techniques that will help you get the most out of your walk. Your pace, your posture, your stride.. it all adds up. Walking done well multiplies your benefits. Here are the 7 most common walking mistakes that I see…
7 Common Walking Mistakes
1- You’re walking too slowly
Your pace tells a story. Research links slower walking speed to an increased risk of cognitive decline, sometimes years before other signs appear. A quick way to check: count your steps for 15 seconds and multiply by four. Around 80 steps per minute is slow. Most people land around 100. The range where fat burning and cardiovascular benefits really kick in is 120 to 130 steps per minute, purposeful without feeling rushed.Ready to pick up your pace?
2- You’re leaning forward
Hours of sitting tightens the front of your hips and round your upper back…and that shape follows you right out the door whether you notice it or not. Walking pitched forward shifts pressure to the front of your foot and quietly reduces how much muscle you actually recruit.
Posture hack: Before your next walk, try this: stand against a wall and bring your head, shoulders, and hips flush against it. Feel that? That’s upright. Walk away from the wall holding that position, and keep checking in throughout your walk.
3-You’re falling, not pushing
Most people propel themselves by letting gravity do the work and catching themselves with the next step. Over time, that’s hard on your knees and leaves your biggest muscles completely out of the conversation.
The fix: The more effective approach is to actively push off the ground with each stride, driving through your back foot with a glute contraction. Think of rowing a boat. The oar pushes back to move you forward. That shift engages your largest muscles, stabilizes your lower back, and reduces the load on your knees with every step.
4-Your arms are just… hanging there
I see this all the time, and I get it. Walking feels casual. But limp arms mean your torso doesn’t rotate, and your body loses the coordination cue it relies on to move efficiently. But, let’s retire the hands-clasped-behind-the-back look. It feels contemplative. It’s actually hard on your posture and throws your whole gait off.
The fix: The speed of your arms determines the speed of your legs. If you want to walk faster, start by quickening your arm movements. Think of how your arms move when you’re jogging — they come up to about chest level and swing back toward your hip pocket. It’s not a big, dramatic motion. Think of them as little pistons: compact, efficient, and driving you forward. Keep a 90-degree bend in your elbows and let them do the work.
5-You’re shuffling
If your footsteps announce you from another room, listen to that. Shuffling means your foot lands as a single flat unit, skipping the normal sequence of heel strike, roll through, and toe-off. Your tripping risk goes up, and your muscles and joints absorb impact less efficiently. Hip strength and ankle mobility are usually the culprits, and both respond well to targeted exercises.
6-You’re ignoring your big toe
This one surprises people. The strength of your big toe is one of the better predictors of fall risk as you age. It handles balance and the final push-off that drives each step forward.
Try this barefoot: Lift just your big toe while the other four stay flat on the floor, then reverse it. Most people can’t do it. Practice it at your desk, in line at the grocery store, anywhere. A week of consistent effort and you’ll start to feel the difference. Your big toe is doing a lot. Give it some attention.
7-You’re doing the exact same walk every time
Your body is smart… if you give it the same stimulus repeatedly and it stops adapting. Walking the same pace, the same distance, the same terrain every day covers only a fraction of what walking can do for you. Mix in a hill for strength. Add short bursts of faster effort for your heart. Try varying your speed within a single walk, slow down, speed up, challenge yourself. Your brain responds to variety just as much as your body does…Keep it guessing!
LeanWalk…
WALK OFF THE POUNDS
6 Walking Workouts • Daily Calendar • Lifetime Access
What’s Included
– 5 audio walking workouts that boost your pace and burn up to 3x more fat than ordinary walking
– 1 indoor walking video so you never miss a workout, rain or shine
– Stretch & Flex video (10 minutes) to do before and after your walk, to improve mobility and prevent injury
It’s oh so simple! All you do is click on the calendar and your workout begins. It’s a simple click-and-play calendar:
• Just open today’s workout and click PLAY
• Transform your body (Seriously. That simple.)
