Walking is an aerobic exercise and a great way to be more active. Plus, it’s simple, safe, inexpensive, and doesn’t require any special skills. Despite its simplicity, it has many benefits. While every step we take is important to avoid a sedentary lifestyle, the ideal goal would be to exceed the 10,000 steps per day—about seven kilometers—proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). . ), although some studies have reduced it by half.
Regardless of the exact number of steps we will have to take, the truth is that getting started is a good way to discover unknown places. Mountains and countryside offer us peace and quiet. But not being able to go into nature is not an excuse to stay prostrate on the couch doing nothing. The city can also be a good place to move your legs, your heart and take care of your mind.
Urban hiking, a concept as new to some as it is familiar to others, transforms our city streets and parks into a valuable setting for exercise. And we’re not talking about going out for a walk and strolling in the nearest park. Urban hiking, like mountain hiking, can also have a purpose, a challenge and an adventure component.
Thanks to the many sports applications available to us, the possibilities are multiplying to establish routes or training sessions that do not require a gym membership. The infinity of applications and the functions integrated into our phones allow us to control the kilometers we travel, the steps we take and, in addition, they offer us the possibility of keeping track of all our walks: from how much we have walked per day, to the route we have followed and the progress we have made. The best application is not always the same for everyone: the main thing is to choose the one that best suits our needs.
But, before starting the walk and putting on our shoes, whether we do it in the countryside or in the city, we must take into account some advice.
Tips for walking and walking safely
It is clear that all options, countryside or mountain and city, require a minimum of organization. In any case, and as we have seen, walking offers us an infinity of benefits and places to discover.
What is the proper preparation for a long walk, the correct equipment and the way to walk so that the risk of injuries or any other problems is reduced? In this video, which is part of the campaign 12 months, 12 health tipsan initiative of the Official College of Physiotherapists of the Basque Country, that of Navarre, that of Andalusia, that of Valencia, that of Galicia, that of Madrid, that of Cantabria and that of Catalonia, we find some of the clues and recommendations of the specialists to do it.
What is the preliminary preparation before starting to walk?
Any long walk requires prior preparation: you must be careful not to start walking without having prepared yourself physically beforehand. Prior training is necessary to acquire good physical shape and avoid injuries and discomfort. This means that you will have to prepare well, with mobilization exercises and warm-up of the legs, arms and back before walking.
In any case, whether you practice traditional or urban hiking, it is better not to wander aimlessly. Knowing the route we are going to take is one of the essential points to avoid having to improvise as we go along and to know exactly how many kilometers we can travel per day.
Setting a fixed destination (which can be a nature refuge or a museum that we have been wanting to visit for a long time) will help us adjust the route that best suits our physical condition. A previous visit to the physiotherapist for a joint and muscle assessment can help us eliminate problems that could prevent healthy walking.
Cap, shoes and backpack: allies during the walk
Shoes, clothes and backpacks are accessories that we often do not pay the attention they deserve but that are nevertheless of great importance when it comes to achieving our goals without unpleasant surprises. In the case of clothing, we will opt for thermal and insulating fabric suitable for the time of year.
As for footwear, it is best that they are light and waterproof and that they are accompanied by high socks that breathe. In this case, it is very important to pay attention to the terrain on which we are going to walk. We will change the mountain hiking shoes for urban hiking shoes that have good cushioning because they are more suitable for walking on asphalt and do not damage our joints.
In summer, the essential accessories will also be a cap or hat to prevent sunstroke. The backpack, in addition to adapting to our back and the needs of the outing, should not carry more than ten kilos of load at most, and better if it has a relief belt at the waist and compression straps to protect the lumbar area.
Although on the urban road we find cafes and supermarkets on every corner, it is better to leave home prepared with healthy snacks and water so as not to have to stop from time to time.
The way you walk is key
When it comes to walking, doing it correctly can make the difference between a good experience and what can become a nightmare. Physical therapists recommend starting with short steps and gradually increasing them. The goal is to reach a pace that you can maintain throughout the walk without feeling tired.
And this will be different for each person. It is not about going faster if it means that we will get tired sooner, but rather about being able to continue walking at a constant and healthy pace, without forgetting also that it must allow us to contemplate what surrounds us and enjoy the environment.
We can alternate walking with regular stops, approximately every hour and a half, which we can take advantage of to drink a little and rest and which will help us avoid the dreaded cramps. As physiotherapists recognize, we can take advantage of these stops to loosen our shoes and raise our feet to promote circulation and prevent the feet and legs from swelling. And if during this stop we notice that our feet are swollen, we can apply local cold to the area.
