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Forget 10,000 steps — this ‘walking yoga’ workout builds full-body strength, flexibility and mobility
Now that the weather is improving, walking workouts are looking like a much more enjoyable way to exercise than hitting the stuffy gym. A trend that took off a while back was walking yoga, so feeling inspired, I thought I’d revisit it — then ramp it up.
The walking yoga trend involves combining walking, yoga moves and breathwork. The idea is to cultivate mindful movement, but for me, trying to combine yoga with a walk has so far been jarring, so I put together my own workout with a structure I found more intuitive.
And you don’t need any equipment — just yourself. Here it is.
What is ‘walking yoga’?
Think: the benefits of walking and the calm focus of yoga — almost like a walking meditation while using breathing techniques or mantras. Depending on where you practice, it may help you feel more connected with nature or your surroundings.
Besides, any time spent away from screens and gently moving your body in a low-impact way should be seen as a good thing. Yoga builds strength, mobility and flexibility for your muscles and joints; this way, you get the best of both worlds: increase your step count and develop suppleness, strength and flexibility.
What is the ‘walking yoga’ workout?
When I first tried walking yoga, it wasn’t warm. It was much more enjoyable to test this workout in the summer when I could enjoy being amongst the elements and do it barefoot without the risk of frostbite.
I recommend finding a 5K route that you would normally walk or run. Walk 1km at a time — if you’d like more of a cardio element, try my colleague’s new favorite Japanese walking method, or power walking — or you could just stroll along (my favorite way to do this is intuitive walking).
The best way to track your progress is by using one of the best fitness trackers or your smartphone. Every km, stop and perform the short five-minute routine below.
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- Child’s pose: 10 breaths
- Downward dog: 5 breaths
- Puppy pose: 5 breaths
- Downward dog (pedal heels): 5 breaths
- Lizard lunge (left leg forward): 5 breaths
- Lizard lunge (right leg forward): 5 breaths
- Cat-cow: 10 rounds of breath
Tips from a personal trainer
Approach this however works for you, but if I can offer a few tips to help you make the most of it, then my job is done.
My first tip is to listen to your body — if you’re a yoga beginner, you might decide to stick with the short routine above, but if you practice regularly, then you can throw in whatever moves your body craves, and don’t be afraid to move intuitively and make it up on the spot.
Next, if you use one of the best fitness trackers, try to minimize how often you look at yours — consider just tracking distance rather than focusing on calorie burn or heart rate. This will help you focus on how the workout feels rather than metrics, which we should all try to do from time to time.
Remember to focus on your breathing rate while you perform the exercises, following the guidelines above to help you.
Finally, I strongly recommend choosing a route you know and feel confident and comfortable with, which will allow you to find moments to stop along the way without focusing on location. This will also help you switch off and enjoy the experience.
