Is Walking Good Exercise? Injuries Occur with any Exercise Routine.

Walking is great exercise but as with any form of exercise, especially when first beginning a new routine, there can be injuries. Most people know that walking is one of the more passive forms of exercise so how can walking hurt you?

Many months ago I had quite severe pains in both legs which almost stopped me from going on my regular walks. I walk 3 to 4 times a week for about an hour each time and have been walking for over 10 years. I thought I was quite fit and healthy until the pains started and I almost had to stop my exercise routine.

My legs felt heavy and tired, my feet ached, there were times when even lying down and putting my feet up was painful, until the pain subsided after some 15 minutes of trying to relax. If putting my legs up didn't help then pain killers did (for a while anyway). I had thoughts of never being able to go on walks again, of suffering some type of arthritis or being crippled with pain forever.

How could I not go for walks? Our suburb is close to a large river, the Parramatta River in Sydney, Australia, so I can go on several different routes and always see magic water views. We have several large parks which are used daily by dogs and their owners, exercisers and their personal trainers as well as families playing on the equipment. Also, Sydney's weather is (usually) just perfect for exercising outdoors. There was just no way I wanted to stop.

A friend suggested I go to a local gym and work with a personal trainer who may be able to help. I did this for a little while but unfortunately the pains didn't get better and the exercise machines seemed to make my back ache. I have 2 ruptured discs in my lower back which have given me grief over the years. I must admit I don't really enjoy going to gyms, I much prefer the great outdoors. Gyms certainly have their place and many people enjoy them, I guess they're just not for me.

A trip to my local GP didn't add any light on the subject except that maybe the back injury I sustained many years ago could be causing the problem. After some acupuncture for my back problem, most of the pain I felt in my back seemed to improve but the leg pain just seemed worse. A specialist rheumatologist appointment followed.

After 5 minutes of me explaining the type of pain I was suffering the specialist told me something quite extraordinary.

"It seems the way you walk is causing the pain in your legs," she announced. "When you injured your back many years ago your body compensated for the pain in your back by adjusting your movements to protect your back from further injury."

She continued to inform me that I had "bursitis" in my hips, my knees were degenerating and I had "shin splints". All quite painful conditions.

"Wow, now I really feel old," I exclaimed and she said laughing, "These conditions don't just occur in old people, shin splints especially are quite common in younger people".

Well, at least I didn't have arthritis or was going to be crippled with pain forever!

The specialist sent me to see a physiotherapist (it turned out I had seen this particular therapist for my back problem years before). I attended this physio for some weeks and found just how easy my leg pain was going to be solved, with some simple exercises.

The resulting simple exercise regime of 20 minutes of yoga style stretches every morning eased the pain in around 2 weeks and as I kept up the exercises the pain went away almost totally. I still went walking and found I could walk further, was actually starting to enjoy walking again and as I improved I added further stretching exercises when time permitted.

So, is walking harmful? Well no, as long as you have no prior injuries your body is trying to compensate for.

When you are exercising and notice pain that just doesn't go away, don't suffer or take pain killers, go and see an expert about fixing the problem. I was so relieved that I didn't have a long term problem because I really enjoy my outdoor walks and Sassie, our gorgeous dog, would have been extremely put out if I had to stop walking her.

Here are some of the exercises I was given by the physiotherapist -

• hold on to a ledge and stretch one leg at a time backwards on an angle
• put one leg in front of the other and do a half squat whilst holding ledge
• face forward and squat as low as you can with arms outstretched
• squat with your back against a wall
• lie down and do some stomach crunches
• do some 'scissor kicks' whilst lying down
• on all fours, do some 'cat stretches'

It is best to do the above exercises slowly and holding in your core muscles (stomach). Since I have been doing these regularly I have lost a couple of kilos and toned, especially in the stomach area. It's that easy, a combination of simple exercises and walking works to keep me fit and healthy.

Exercise can be a daunting task if you are in pain or have an injury but any expert will tell you that not exercising at all will only make things worse. Apart from the prospect of gaining weight, which in turn will exacerbate the pain anyway, other health issues such as depression, sleeplessness and reliance on pain killers may occur.

There is no need to overdo any exercise and walking is free, you can walk for 10 minutes at first and slowly add time as you begin to feel better. It is a great way to start being healthier and happier, so get up and start your walking routine now.

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