The two stretches I do after my daily walk to relieve tight hips and tired legs

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Walking is the simplest thing I do to take care of my physical and mental health, and the only form of exercise I do every day.

I generally walk for no longer than an hour and because it’s low-impact and I don’t break a sweat, I assumed that I didn’t need to do anything to recover afterwards, in the way I do with other workouts.

However, since moving to a hilly area, I noticed that I was sometimes experiencing stiffness in my legs, hips and back after walking. It may be low-intensity, but regular walking can still take its toll.

So, I’ve started doing two post-walk stretches: child’s pose and a forward fold. They only take a few minutes, but they help me feel less stiff for the rest of the day.

Plus, by connecting these two behaviours (walking and stretching) together, a technique called habit stacking, I’m also stretching every day.

The two stretches I do after every walk

I decided to add these stretches to my day because they target the legs and hips. They also mobilize my back, which is always the stiffest area of my body. I hold each pose for about a minute

Here’s how to do them.

1. Child’s pose

• Kneel with your knees wider than hip-width apart.

• Reach your arms as far forward as you can and sit your butt back onto your hips.

2. Standing forward fold

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.

• Slowly lower your arms towards your feet, keeping a bend in the knees.

• Stop when you feel a stretch in your hamstrings and hold.

Why is stretching after a walk beneficial?

“It is quite common to feel a bit stiff or achy after walking, particularly following a long walk, and certain stretches can alleviate that discomfort,” explains physiotherapist at Complete Pilates Helen O’Leary. “Child’s pose and forward fold can be particularly beneficial since they put your spine in flexion, which opens out the space between the tiny joints in the spine, and stretches the soft tissues of the lower back.”

When you’re standing, your lower back is in a neutral or slightly extended position, which loads the small joints, which is why you might experience stiffness in this area of the body after walking.

“You can add a bit more of a targeted stretch into either of these two positions by adding a side bend,” O’Leary says.

“In child’s pose, if you place your arms on the mat overhead, you can walk your hands to one side, so that your body starts to curve. Now really sit back into the hip on the opposite side of where your hands are—this will stretch a little more into one side of your lower back,” she suggests.

Make sure you repeat the movement on the other side, too.