With all the forms that exist to perform aerobic exercise and the great popularity of weight training, the activity of walking has been in the background for many athletes. There is a type of mentality, which believes that walking is just a waste of time, which, however, is totally wrong. It is true that other types of exercises are powerful to boost our metabolism, lose weight, or more generally, have a healthier lifestyle, but the act of walking has a lot of benefits to contribute.

Beginners in the world of sports initially do not have the capacity to perform very intense exercises. Whether overweight or having been a long period without any physical exercise, training as a born runner or a bodybuilder, not only is not possible, but it is also very dangerous. Also, if for some reason we could do a very intense training, it would be totally exhausting, and this would have a negative effect on us, since we would tend to think that performing an exercise is always so painful, and that could make us surrender to the task of continue with physical activities.

Therefore, walking is an excellent way to begin to enter the world of exercise, accustoming and adapting the body to perform high loads of physical intensity. It is also an activity with a low impact on the body, in which it is very difficult to obtain an injury and in which one hardly suffers.

Here at Happy Feet Pedorthics we can help you find the best option for you, we’ll assist you in the selection of shoes for your daily routine. Measuring your feet is the first step in order to make your new shoes fit accurately, then we will recommend the most comfortable design for you.

Walking improves your health

However, walking is not only for beginners. It also has another series of benefits that make it a perfect activity to incorporate into our training routine:

• The mortality rate is 22% lower in people who walk around 15 kilometres a week.
• Walking an hour and a half per day reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by 18%.
• Walking decreases the probability of suffering a heart attack by 35%.
• In addition, the probability of having a stroke also decreases by 34%.

As we can see, they are reasons important enough to take into account the incorporation of a walking routine in our training table.

On the other hand, in addition to going for a walk, to complement the routine of the walk, we can also follow the following tips:

• Go walking to your work to make the purchase instead of going in the car. A couple of kilometres will not take you long, but it will bring great benefits to your health.
• Do not take the elevator, use the stairs whenever you can. It will help you to gain physical strength and strengthen your legs.
• Take a short walk in the rest hours of your work. You will clear your mind in the healthiest way possible.
• In short, get used to walking, you will do an important favour to your body and, above all, to your health.

6 tips for walking and having healthy feet

Enjoy your walks when you go out for a walk, but do not neglect the care of your feet with these tips.

Walking is a low impact exercise that provides your body with great health benefits. Walking regularly strengthens the heart, reduces the risk of disease, prevents dementia, increases your energy levels, improves the immune system, fights anxiety and depression, tones your legs and your butt and also helps you lose weight.

But despite all these benefits, walking can cause a series of problems in the feet (such as blisters, swelling or pain) that you should avoid if you want to have healthy feet. Do not miss the following tips for walking and keep your feet healthy every day, without discomfort or chafing.

1. Maintain good posture

To walk and take care of your feet it is necessary that you do it maintaining a good posture. Do not lean too far forward and reduce the pressure you exert on your feet. Avoid swinging your arms too vigorously and keep your body straight. By maintaining a correct posture, you can use the muscles of the legs and hips correctly, reducing the pain of the feet.

2. Avoid blisters before they appear

The blisters are very annoying when they have gone out, so much that they can make you not to walk until they completely go away. Therefore, it is a good idea to use solid lubricants to fight blisters. Although the best thing without a doubt is to invest in shoes that are of good quality and that reduce the risk of suffering from blisters and even other problems in the feet.

If you walk a lot during the day, it is better to choose slippers that protect your heels and toes from possible inflammations.

3. Maintain good hydration

Prevention will always be much better than cure, so hydration cannot be lacking in your life. You should make sure that you drink enough water during the day to prevent your feet from cracking. You can also apply a moisturiser before going to bed if you notice that your feet are too dry. It is much easier to walk when you have the skin of the feet well hydrated instead of dry and cracked (which also can hurt).

4. Allow your feet to breathe

Although it is a good idea to wear good shoes on your feet, it is also necessary that both the footwear and the socks are breathable, that is, that allow your feet to breathe properly. The footwear must provide your feet with a high level of perspiration. This will help you avoid having a bad smell in your feet and that you do not have a rash, blisters or even fungi.

5. Make short breaks

If you walk long walks, you should take short breaks to avoid muscle pain and foot pain. Before walking you can stretch a bit and also at the end of your walk. You can stop 10 minutes when you have a good time walking (like 60 minutes, for example) and turn the shoulders several times forward or backward to avoid body stiffness. Do not end the walking session by going to bed or simply sitting down, before doing a few stretches to avoid injury or pain.

Here at Happy Feet Pedorthics we will help you with the top shoes for your walks.