Everyone can benefit from walking but it’s especially valuable if you need a low-impact activity that can improve your balance and your cardio fitness.
“Walking is a wonderful workout,” says Milica McDowell, a doctor of physical therapy and exercise physiologist at Gait Happens.
“It not only helps to boost your cardiovascular health but doing it regularly can reduce your risks of falls by strengthening your feet and improving your balance.”
McDowell has designed a simple walking workout for anyone aged over 60, which can be adapted to your own fitness levels.
If you find it too challenging, you can shorten the high-intensity intervals and spend more time walking at a comfortable pace. Similarly, if you’d like to increase the challenge, you can extend the high-intensity intervals to keep your heart rate elevated.
If you haven’t exercised for a long time and need a gentler routine, we recommend you read McDowell’s tips on conquering your first 1,000 steps and increasing your step count safely.
Milica McDowell is a doctor of physical therapy, with more than 20 years of experience in sports orthopedics. She served for nine years as a member of the university faculty in health and human performance at Montana State University-Bozeman and is an expert in exercise, fitness, walking, shoes, healthy habit stacking, behavior change, sports medicine, orthopedics, injury prevention, posture and gait mechanics. McDowell is also a personal trainer, gym owner, 13-time Ironman finisher, 50km ultramarathon finisher and a CrossFit level 1 certified coach.
15-minute walking workout for seniors
(Image credit: Getty Images/ jose carlos cerdeno martinez)
Warm-up
Time: 3-5min
“A warm-up is designed to do two things: increase your heart rate and increase your tissue temperatures so you are at lower risk of any sprain or strain,” says McDowell.
“You can do squats, lunges, march in place or go up and down a flight of stairs.”
Interval walking
Time: 6-12min
“Walk at a very comfortable pace for three minutes, then pick it up for three minutes. Repeat this pattern based on your current endurance,” says McDowell.
“This type of walking holds numerous benefits, including cardiovascular training, boosting your metabolism and burning calories. It can improve your muscle tone and support blood pressure and blood sugar management.”
Gentle cool-down
Time: 3-5min
Cool down by slowing your pace and focusing on breathing deeply through your nose.
You can also practice gentle stretches after walking to increase your flexibility.
“If you enjoy yoga, doing a few of your favorite poses can also be a great cooldown,” says McDowell.
She usually finishes her walk by doing a forward fold and mountain pose, along with dynamic mobility moves like upward and downward-facing dog, which are very similar to this coach’s favorite post-walk stretches.
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