Get moving! - Walking tips for fall

​Walking is great exercise and an easy addition to everyone's fitness routine. Here are Karen's tips for starting or tweaking a walking regime this fall.

• As temperature decreases, more important to ensure good warm-up before increasing speed or intensity. Avoid hills (up or down) at the beginning of your walk because they can be irritating for old injuries especially if not warm.

• If you live on a hill, do a 5 min warm-up at home before you set out, a stationary bike ride or marching on the spot can do the trick!

• Dress to “be seen”!! Wear reflective gear wherever possible, shoes, jacket, pants. LED lights also hugely increase visibility to vehicles, can be worn on yourself and on your dog (if walking one). It also helps you to better visualize your path and any possible hazards that could cause a fall or sprained ankle.

• Be aware of the conditions and dress appropriately from top to bottom.

o If wet and/or cold, ensure your shoes have adequate grip to protect you from slips on slippery (eg leaves ) or frosty surfaces

o Wear light layers with water-resistant outer layer that can be vented. Our bodies heat up quickly when exercising and this ensures we stay comfortable on our walk.

o If below zero, ensure that you have some type of hat to keep your

head warm.

• Once back home, make sure you spend at least 5-10 min stretching your main walking muscles for a minimum of 30 sec/muscle. These include your thigh muscles, calves, hamstrings and gluts.