How Walking can help Athletes
The most underrated exercise you can do for your physical and mental health is walking.
Whatever Sport you compete in, you need to be going on more walks. The exercise doesn’t take up a lot of time, it can reset your mind, and promote recovery with the slow and continuous state of cardiovascular work.
The benefits of walking for athletes
Improve your mental health
Become more in-tune with nature
Reduce stress
Strengthen your heart
Form of meditation
Ease joint pain
Committing time to walk every day will open a door for you that you didn’t even know was there!
How walking helps mental health
Walking is a chance to take a break from the stresses of everyday life, and an opportunity to be alone with your thoughts whilst moving your body AND spending time with nature.
What shoes are best for walking?
Choosing what shoes to wear for your walks all depends on your personal preference and the terrain. There are so many options that it can be hard to know what is best for you. I like to wear barefoot shoes . I like to feel the ground with my feet in every step, plus there are also many benefits to strengthening your feet as a result of wearing barefoot shoes.
Cushioned shoes tend to be the best for people who are new to walking because they provide support to your feet, meaning the pressure on your joints isn’t as intense as a thin sole.
The benefits of walking do not change depending on your footwear, so try some different types of footwear out to see what works best for you. Fitness is all about individualisation, after all.
How to make walking fun
I’m not trying to make you believe that walking is the most exciting way to spend your time. I don’t blame you if you put off going for walks because it can be boring. How fun can slowly putting one foot in front of the other be?
However, there are a lot of ways that you can spice up your walks to make them much more than just putting one foot in front of the other. Here’s how:
Track your walks – Gamifying anything makes it 100x more exciting. I use a Garmin watch - which connects to Strava - to track my walks.
Walk with a friend – Although walking by yourself and your thoughts has many benefits, sharing the experience with someone else can make it fun.
Listen to music or a good podcast – Nothing will make your walk flyby like putting in some earphones and listening to a good podcast or music playlist.
Walk somewhere new – Walking the same route every day can get really boring, why not go a different direction or drive somewhere new to explore?
Walk somewhere that brings back good memories – Going back to where you grew up, or just somewhere that brings back good memories can be great to bringing something extra to the walk.
It’s amazing how just making a small decision to walk every day can make such a positive change in your life. It doesn’t matter whether it’s 1 mile or 10 miles, you will reap the endless benefits of the best form of exercise you can do!
