Warming Up and Stretching

The best way to warm up is to walk slowly for 3-5 minutes. Once your muscles are warm, take a few minutes to perform the following stretches. At the end of your walk, you should walk slowly for several minutes and then perform the stretches again. By adding stretching into your warm-up and cool-down sessions, you are helping your body prepare for its next walk. You also decrease the after-exercise soreness that sometimes occurs.

When stretching, remember that you are not in a competition to see how flexible you are. Don’t bounce. Perform the movements slowly and only to the point of mild discomfort. It should never hurt. Hold each stretch for 10-20 seconds.

Side Reaches (stretches the sides of your waist): Stand with your feet about hip distance apart. Keep your knees relaxed and your hips and shoulders facing forward. Reach one arm over your head and bend gently to the side. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat on the other side.

Knee Pull (stretches your hips and buttocks): Lean with your body back against a wall or other stable object. Stand straight. Keep your head, hips, and feet aligned and pull one knee up toward your chest. Lift your knee gently. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat on the other side.

Wall Push (stretches the back of your legs): Lean forward towards a wall with one leg approximately 2-3 feet in front of the other. Keep both feet and toes pointing forward. Bend your front knee and keep your back leg straight with your foot flat and your toes pointed straight ahead. Gently lean towards the wall and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat with the other leg.

Leg Curl (stretches the front of your legs): Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. Use one hand for balance (on a wall, tree, or car) and use your other arm to grab the ankle of the same side behind you. Pull your foot towards your buttocks while keeping your knee pointing down towards the ground. Hold for 10 seconds and switch sides. Be sure that you are not leaning off to one side.