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Before heading out on a walk, you should perform a few light stretches to prepare your body for the activity. You should focus on at least these three specific areas: hip flexors, hamstrings, and calves. After walking, once your body is well warmed up, it is a chance to further work on your flexibility and stretch these plus other areas of your body too.

Here are descriptions of the three important areas of the body for walkers. You should stretch and hold the positions for 30-45 seconds, and make sure you stretch both sides of the body. Total stretching time should be about five minutes.

Hip Flexors

Hip flexors run vertically down the front of your hip. Tight hip flexors can lead to lower back pain, as the flexors pull your pelvis forward out of alignment. Stretching them is easy.

To stretch your hip flexors:

• If needed, stand next to a wall or table, so that you have something to hold onto if you lose your balance.
• Take a wide step backwards with your left foot, and lower your left knee to the ground.
• Your right knee should be directly above your right ankle, so that your shin is perpendicular to the floor. If it's not, adjust your stance appropriately.
• Sit up tall, eyes forward, abs tight. Concentrate on an imaginary string attached to the top of your head that's pulling you straight up.
• Hold for 30 to 45 seconds.
• Repeat with the opposite leg forward.
  

Hamstrings

Hamstrings are the muscles that run vertically down the back of your legs. There are many good hamstring stretches. Here is the description of the standing hamstring stretch.

To stretch your hamstrings:

• Begin standing near a chair or low table.
  
• Place your right foot (heel) onto the table.
• Slowly lean forward, lowering your upper body towards your leg, bending at the hips.
• If you're able, grab your ankle and gently pull yourself further down.
  
• Hold for 30 to 45 seconds.
• Repeat with the opposite leg.
  

Calves

Tight calf muscles may lead to plantar fasciitis, a painful condition in which the connective tissue in your arches becomes inflamed.

To stretch your calves:

• Begin standing facing the wall, with both hands on the wall.
• Flex your left knee.
  
• Step backwards with your right foot, with your weight leaning forward onto your hands.
  
• Push your back heel onto the ground.
• Push the hips forward, once with the knee bent, and again with the leg straight
• Hold each posiotion for 30 to 45 seconds.
• Repeat opposite side.

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