{"id":7163,"date":"2023-09-05T01:20:32","date_gmt":"2023-09-04T18:20:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=7163"},"modified":"2023-09-05T01:20:32","modified_gmt":"2023-09-04T18:20:32","slug":"a-9-minute-walking-exercise-for-seniors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=7163","title":{"rendered":"A 9-Minute Walking Exercise for Seniors"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-franchise outlines-corners relative p-[20px] mt-[30px] sm:flex sm:items-start sm:flex-row\">\n<div class=\"article-franchise__text text-default mt-[10px] text-center inline sm:inline-block sm:mt-0 sm:text-left\"> <span class=\"italic text-gray\">Each month, a new trainer takes us through four of the best workouts they have in their back pocket. Follow along weekly for new ways to sweat it out with us.<\/span><span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/trainer-of-the-month-club\/\" target=\"\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/trainer-of-the-month-club\/\" rel=\"noopener\">See All<\/a><\/span> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Walking is something most of us learn intuitively as we first begin to totter around the world. But as we grow older, the aches and pains, foot pronations or supinations, weaknesses and the way we compensate for them, can disturb a naturally-aligned gait. So if a lifetime of body mechanics are turning your daily walk into a painful ordeal, doing a walking exercise for seniors can help make this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/benefits-of-walking-2022\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/benefits-of-walking-2022\/\">most excellent form of exercise<\/a> a more manageable\u2014and enjoyable\u2014activity.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you spend a lot of time sitting, you might have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/tight-hamstrings-2\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/tight-hamstrings-2\/\">tight hamstrings<\/a>. That can cause a tilt in your pelvis, which can end up putting an extra load in your lower back and causing pain when you stand or walk. No thank you!<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<hr\/>\n<p>So how to reverse the curse of your body\u2019s history when all you want to do is get moving? Re-familiarize yourself with proper walking gait. Yep, just like any other exercise, there is an ideal walking form that will keep you pain-free and able to amble along for miles.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe correct way to walk [is with] shoulders up and [shoulder blades] down your back, engaging your core, slight rotation for the thoracic spine, and lifting from your heel,\u201d says Liz Fichtner, a group fitness manager and instructor with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crunch.com\/classes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.crunch.com\/classes\">Crunch Fitness<\/a>\u00a0and Well+Good&#8217;s Trainer of the Month Club trainer.<\/p>\n<p>Breaking down a walking gait might make you feel a bit like a robot. None of the smooth movements of walking feel all that graceful when you\u2019re practicing them one at a time. But ensuring each body part has the mobility, flexibility, and proper mind-muscle connection to do its job will make everything come together even better than before.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/walking-exercise-for-seniors\/\" current-title=\"Here\u2019s How To Walk With Perfect Form So You\u2019re Able to Amble Along for Miles Pain-Free\" current-image=\"TOTMC-BoostYourMobility-WalkingSeniors-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-03-04\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/walking-exercise-for-seniors\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/walking-exercise-for-seniors\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/walking-exercise-for-seniors\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>If starting something like a regular walking routine feels daunting, know that practices like this walking exercise for seniors can help you work up to your goals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we&#8217;re starting exercising, maybe we start from walking, learning how to walk correctly, feeling it in the body, getting in tune with the body,&#8221; says Fichtner. &#8220;You don&#8217;t have to start off doing crazy exercises. You can start by walking, learning how to walk correctly, and how to be in tune with the body.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You can follow along with Fichtner in this 9-minute video of walking exercise for seniors above, or go through the movements on your own by following the instructions below. And don\u2019t forget to make sure you\u2019re equipped with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/best-shoes-walking-standing-all-day\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/best-shoes-walking-standing-all-day\/\">good pair of walking shoes<\/a> before you hit the pavement (or trail or beach)!<\/p>\n<h2>A 9-minute walking exercise for seniors<\/h2>\n<p><em><strong>Format:<\/strong><\/em> Nine minutes of full-body muscle activation and mobility exercises, focusing on one body part at a time before putting all the movements together to practice an ideal walking gait<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Equipment needed:<\/strong><\/em> Space to move around<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Who is this for:<\/strong><\/em> Seniors who want to stretch, mobilize, and activate their muscles before going for a walk<\/p>\n<h3>1. Find your toes<\/h3>\n<p>Make sure you can move through a full range of motion in your foot. \u201cSlightly lift your heel on the ball of your foot, and I want you just to shift side to side from your big toe, feeling all your toes to the pinky, just have that mind-to-muscle connection,\u201d says Fichtner.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Forefoot rolls<\/h3>\n<p>Continue foot mobilization, but this time front to back instead of side to side. \u201cLift the heel and kind of roll onto the ball of the foot, feeling your toes, then lower and then just alternate,\u201d Fichtner says. \u201cEventually you&#8217;re going to just start to almost like a little gallop, lifting and rolling onto the balls of the feet.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>3. Lower body joint circles<\/h3>\n<p>Move through circles at your joints, starting with ankle circles on one foot, and then the other. Then come back to standing on two feet. With a slight bend in your knees, circle your knees one way and then the other. Repeat the circle motion with your hips. Make sure to engage your core.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Arm swings<\/h3>\n<p>This exercise is all about building a connection between your deep core and motion in your hips and upper body. Stabilize your hips, engage your core, and then start gently swinging your arms, alternating which one is in front.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith your hips stable first, we&#8217;re going to feel this connection in your thoracic spine above the belly button,\u201d Fichtner says. \u201cJust feel that rotation through the thoracic.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>5. Hip side-to-sides<\/h3>\n<p>Get used to bringing motion into stabilized and core-connected hips. Practice rotating them so each side swerves forward one at a time. \u201cJust kind of little side to side, feeling nice and loose. Not thinking too much about it,\u201d Fichtner says.<\/p>\n<h3>6. Gait practice<\/h3>\n<p>Put the last two exercises together by incorporating core-connected gentle arm swings into hip side-to-sides.<\/p>\n<h3>7. Leg lifts<\/h3>\n<p>This exercise is about learning to drive from the heel. First, you\u2019ll practice lifting your leg up with a bent knee to see where your power naturally comes from. Then, you\u2019ll focus on powering that knee drive from the heel up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLift through the heel,\u201d Fichtner says. \u201cThink the mind-to-body connection from the heel. So think of something lifting you from under the heel. Now you don&#8217;t feel it in your hip flexor and you don&#8217;t feel it in your thighs.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>8. Practice walking from the sacrum<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cOne last thing that we&#8217;re going to work on is feeling that elongation,\u201d Fichtner says. The way you\u2019ll do this is by identifying your sacrum\u2014the bone in your pelvis at the bottom of the spine and just above and between the glutes\u2014and thinking about lifting your upper body from the base of the spine. This will help you pull the shoulder blades down the back and open up the chest, so your whole body is upright and elongated.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGo ahead and take your hands on that sacrum and feel that sacrum,&#8221; Fichtner says. &#8220;Just walk and feel that sacrum. Don&#8217;t you feel a little taller? Do you feel a little longer? How&#8217;s that posture? Right? Doesn&#8217;t that feel so much better in the body? Now you&#8217;re not rounding forward, right?\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>9. Put it all together<\/h3>\n<p>Practice walking back and forth with a lifted heel, an elongated spine, and core connection as you gently sway your hips and swing your arms.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe&#8217;re going to think about that thoracic movement through the thoracic spine above the belly,\u201d says Fichtner. \u201cWe&#8217;re going to think of loose hips. We&#8217;re going to think of elongated, feeling nice and long and tall. And we&#8217;re going to think about lifting through the heel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now, you&#8217;re ready to roll.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Each month, a new trainer takes us through four of the best workouts they have in their back pocket. Follow along weekly for new ways to sweat it out with us. See All Walking is something most of us learn intuitively as we first begin to totter around the world. But as we grow older, &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7164,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7163"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7163\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}