GP 'prescribes' walking this Bank Holiday to kickstart fitness goals
With National Walking Month now in full swing, and the May Bank Holiday soon upon us where many have more time to exercise, a GP claims that now’s the perfect time to start a gentle walking fitness regime, whatever your age.
“National Walking Month throughout May is a good starting point to build fitness and is much less intimidating than going for a run. Plus the added benefit of being out in fresh air regularly has positive benefits on mental well-being too.”
Dr Alexandra Moorhouse, GP at Practice Plus Group Hospitals Shepton Mallet and Emersons Green
Raising your heart rate for 20 minutes or more once a day can increase your level of fitness, plus walking is the perfect free activity to target cardiovascular fitness and a variety of muscle groups.
Dr Alexandra Moorhouse, GP, Wellsoon Private Healthcare from Practice Plus Group, says: “National Walking Month throughout May is a good starting point to build fitness and is much less intimidating than going for a run. Plus the added benefit of being out in fresh air regularly has positive benefits on mental well-being too.
““Walking, particularly on a treadmill, is easier on the joints than running and there are ways to make it just as challenging as going for a jog. Walking also slows us down and allows us to focus on form, reducing the risk of injury.”
Dr Alexandra Moorhouse, GP at Practice Plus Group Hospitals Shepton Mallet and Emersons Green
“I see many patients who are looking to get back into walking after joint surgery, or are experiencing joint issues and want something gentle to start them off so I ‘prescribe’ regular walking if they are otherwise fit and well.
“The marathon season in spring can be really inspiring and with the nice weather we’ve been having, more people are tempted to take up running. However, not over exerting yourself is particularly important if you are unused to running as it can be very tough on joints and it’s recommended to build up fitness levels first!
“Walking, particularly on a treadmill, is easier on the joints than running and there are ways to make it just as challenging as going for a jog. Walking also slows us down and allows us to focus on form, reducing the risk of injury.
“From being house bound to looking forward to life after surgery and getting back to the hobbies I enjoy is a wonderful feeling…I can’t recommend the team [at Birmingham] enough.”
Gerald Goddard, hip replacement patient at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Birmingham
For those that want to challenge themselves a little more than just regularly tracking their steps, Dr Moorhouse suggests trying incline walking as you start to feel fitter. She says: “Incline walking in particular targets different muscle groups than walking on a flat surface. Typically flat surface walks work your quadriceps – the big muscles on the front of the thigh. Incline walking engages your core more and what we call the posterior chain – these are muscles like the hamstrings and glutes. It also engages the muscles in your lower legs more than flat surface walking, so more muscle groups are working harder for the same amount of time during an incline walk compared with flat surface walking, which can contribute to improved levels of overall fitness.
Increasing the speed and pace of walks when feeling a little fitter can build endurance, Dr Moorhouse explains: “By building up endurance, over time you will be able to sustain a higher level of effort for a longer period of time. This type of interval training is ideal for people who are considering taking up running but are currently less physically active, or for whom running would exacerbate injuries or joint issues.”
