Walking

Unaided gait on level ground, keeping one foot in contact with the floor throughout, which makes it the lowest-impact way to accumulate aerobic work.

How to do it

1. Stand tall with your weight over the middle of your feet and your shoulders relaxed, not pulled back.
2. Step forward and land on your heel, then roll through the foot and push off the ball and toes.
3. Keep at least one foot on the ground at all times — as soon as both leave the floor you are running, not walking.
4. Let your arms swing naturally from the shoulder, opposite arm to opposite leg, with the elbows softly bent.
5. Look ahead rather than down at your feet, and breathe through a steady, repeatable rhythm.
6. Continue for the desired time or distance, picking a pace at which you could still hold a conversation.

Tips

• Pace is the whole variable here. A stroll and a brisk walk are different training stimuli, so pick one deliberately instead of drifting.
• Lengthen the push behind you rather than reaching further in front — overstriding lands you on a straight leg and brakes every step.
• This is the one piece of conditioning you can do daily without needing to recover from it, which is what makes it worth programming rather than leaving to chance.

Muscles

Primary: Calves (gastrocnemius), Quadriceps

Secondary: Glutes (max), Hamstrings, Hip flexors, Calves (soleus)