Many people each week walk a few times. Walking is great, it helps maintain weight, good for your heart, breathing fresh air is a bonus.

But is walking enough as our only form of exercise as we age? No. Walking as our sole form of exercise means we miss out on:

1. Maintaining good muscle mass.

Muscle mass declines with age. While walking is great, it does not really build muscle mass, well maybe leg strength if you walk up a mountain.

2. Upper Body strength.

I guess you can walk with weights or use your arms more when you walk, but unless you do, you are not really building upper body strength.

3. Balance training and hip strength.

To prevent a decline in our balance and the possibility of having a fall it is important to include some balance training. This means practicing balancing and ensuring we keep our hip and core stability muscles communicating well.

4. Stretching and maintaining flexibility

Walking doesn’t help maintain our flexibility. It is a repetitive movement. Keeping our body flexible ensures we stay nimble and pain free.  Also walking might sometimes throw your body out of alignment, stretching properly will help put your body back into alignment.

5. Core strength.

Unless you walk holding your core in tight, you are really not working your core.  You need a strong core!

This workout has all the elements missing in a daily walk.