If you regularly walk 10,000 steps a day, you might find yourself experiencing muscle soreness or stiffness. I can certainly feel it in my calves, hips and thighs after a long day on my feet, and have often found myself wondering if I should be stretching when I get in.
So, I spoke to Dr Raquelle Felder, a doctor of physical therapy and the owner of PocketLiveWell. Felder explained that yes, it is important to stretch after walking if you don’t want sore legs, particularly if you’ve walked a long distance or over a variety of different terrains.
“Long walks are a great activity to increase cardiovascular health and muscle endurance,” she says. “Stretching after long walks helps restore muscle length, promotes circulation and speeds up recovery. Stretching also decreases the possibility of injury and pain from the repetitive movement of walking.”
Here are the three stretches Felder suggests trying after your next walk.
1. Runner’s stretch
Time: 30-60sec each side
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, then step your right foot back, bending your left knee to place your right heel on the floor, keeping your right leg straight. Ensure that your toes are in line with your knee and are pointing forward.
- Bend your left knee further and move your hips forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your right hip. Keep your chest facing forward and don’t arch your back.
- Hold for time, then repeat on the other side.
Why Felder recommends this exercise: “The hip flexor muscles can tighten up after activity, which increases stiffness after sitting,” says Felder.
“To prevent an increase in hip flexor tightness, stretching is vital to prevent pain in the front of your hip. Not only that, but the iliopsoas muscle [one of the hip flexor muscles] has an attachment to the lumbar spine. This is important because if you have tight iliopsoas muscles, this could lead to back pain. Not only are you preventing hip pain, but also preventing back pain with this stretch.”
2. Standing calf stretch
Sets: 5 Time: 10-15sec each position
- Stand in front of a low step.
- Place the ball of your right foot on the edge of the step and, keeping your right leg straight, press your right heel into the floor for 10-15 seconds.
- Carefully bend your right knee and press your right heel into the floor for 10-15 seconds.
Why Felder recommends this exercise: “The calf muscles are used heavily during walking and are one of the most common sources of post-walk soreness,” says Felder. “Stretching these muscles increases blood flow and prevents muscle stiffness not only in the calf, but also in the Achilles tendon and plantar fascia. Ensuring these muscles are stretched after activity could prevent injury and plantar fasciitis.”
This movement also works the two largest muscles in the calf. The straight position targets the gastrocnemius, while the bent-knee position works the soleus.
3. Standing quadriceps stretch
Time: 20-30sec each side
How to do it:
- Stand, holding onto a wall or chair for balance if needed.
- Bend your right knee and bring your heel to your right glute and take hold of your right ankle.
- Engage your core and tuck your pelvis slightly in for a deeper stretch.
- Avoid arching your lower back.
- Hold for time, then repeat on the other side.
Why Felder recommends this exercise: “The quadriceps muscles tighten up after walking because they absorb impact, especially when walking downhill,” says Felder. “Stretching these muscles not only reduces muscle tightness, but also protects the knee from knee pain.”
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