Walking Specific Program
To get the most out of your walking you need to develop your leg strength and endurance, your balance, your core muscles and to a lesser extent your upper body muscles. This "Walking Specific" program will help you develop all of these in an uncomplicated workout routine consisting of 7 exercises:
1) Fitball Squats
2) Reaching Lunges
3) Fitball Leg Curls
4) 3/4 Press ups
5) Oblique Crunch
6) Abs Crunch
7) Back Extensions
Perform each exercise back-to-back without any rest between as this will help to improve your cardiovascular fitness.
Perform at least 10 repetitions of each exercise and once you have completed all 7 take a breather for 1-2 mins then repeat the set another 2 times, taking 1-2 mins rest between each set.
You will need to complete this workout routine at least 3 times a week giving a days rest between workouts to see noticeable improvements in your walking fitness.
After a few weeks the workout will become easier to complete so you will need to increase the number of repetitions per exercise and possibly add another set to continue the gains in strength and fitness.
If you don't have a Fitball (which I recommend you do get one as they are worth their weight in gold! You can get them from most sporting outlets), you can perform free standing squats and in place of exercise 3) you can perform bridges: Lay on your back with legs bent at 90 degrees, feet flat on floor. Pull your tummy muscles in and raise your hips up by squeezing your bum muscles and pushing down through your heels at the same time. Your hips should now be in line with your knees and shoulders in a bridge position. Hold for a count of one then return your bum back to the floor but don't rest it back just drive it back up again for the next repetition.
Here are the full instructions with start and finish pictures of each of the 7 exercises:
1) Fitball Squats:
Muscles targeted – Quadriceps, Gluteals and Hamstrings
1. Standing with your feet hip width apart and the Fitball between the wall and the small of your back, slowly lower your bum as if going to sit into a chair.
2. Squat down until your thighs are parallel with the floor, keeping your back straight and abs in.
3. Push back up through your heels to return to the start position.Form tip:
In the bottom position, ensure that your knees are directly over your feet and not going forwards over your toes as this will put unnecessary stress on your knee joints.
2) Reaching Lunges:
Muscles targeted – Gluteals, Quadriceps and Hamstrings
1. Standing with your feet together and back straight, take a stride forward with your right leg.
2. Lunge down and tag the Fitball on the floor directly in front of your right foot.
3. Push back through your right foot to return to the start position. Repeat with left leg.
Form tip:
Ensure that you front knee is directly over your front foot and not past the front of your toes to avoid unnecessary stress to your knee joints. Make this exercise dymanic so as soon as you tag the Fitball, push back right away!
3) Fitball Leg Curls:
Muscles targeted – Hamstrings and core stabilizers
1. Place your heels on the top of the Fitball, body in a straight line and your arms down by your sides.
2. Keep your abs engaged and raise your hips up so you have a straight line from your feet right through to your hips and shoulders. Roll the Fitball in as far as you can bringing your heels in towards you bum.
3. Hold for a count of one and slowly extend your legs back to the starting position.
Form tip:
Keep your hips high throughout the movement. Use your arms by your sides to help balance.
4) 3/4 Press ups:
Muscles targeted – Pectorals, Anterior Deltoids, Triceps brachii and core stabilizers
1. With your knees together, keep your spine in a neutral position with arms vertically above your hands.
2. Keeping your abs engaged, slowly lower your chest down until it is about 5 inches from the floor. Inhaling throughout the movement.
3. Hold for a count of one and exhale as you engage your chest muscles and push back up to the start position.
Form tip:
Don’t fully lock out your elbows as this puts undue stress on the elbow joints and puts more emphasis on the Triceps. Also keep your core tight so as not to let your lower back arch too much.
5) Obliques Crunch:
Muscles targeted – Internal and External Obliques, Rectus Abdominus 
1. Lay on the floor with your legs at 90 degrees, tip them to one side so that your hips are twisting away from your shoulders.
2. With your hands by your temples, slowly crunch up until your shoulders and upper back are off the floor, breath out through this movement.
3. Hold for a count of one and inhale as you slowly return to the start position. Repeat on the other side once you've completed the desired number of reps.
Form tip:
Avoid locking your hands behind your head as this will encourage you to pull on your head when you start to tire which is bad for your neck.
6) Abs Crunch:
Muscles targeted – Rectus Abdominus
1. Lay on the floor with your legs at 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor.
3. Hold for a count of two and inhale as you slowly return to the start position.
Form tip:
Avoid locking your hands behind your head as this will encourage you to pull on your head when you start to tire which is bad for your neck.
7) Back Extensions:
Muscles targeted – Erector Spinae group, Mid & lower Trapezius and Rhomboids 
1. Lay on the floor with your legs together, arms by your sides and nose touching floor.
2. Slowly raise your head and chest off the floor drawing your shoulder blades together and breathing out through the movement.
3. Hold for a count of two and inhale as you slowly return to the start position.
Form tip:
Keep your nose facing the floor to avoid craning your neck. Keep your legs relaxed during the movement.
If you follow my "Walking specific" program 3 times a week then I guarantee that you will experience so much more enjoyment from your walking. If you have any questions or queries regarding my program please feel free to contact me.
Good luck and best wishes in health and fitness,
Ryan Phillips
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