Real Life Fitness Questions Answered

Advice on power walking speeds and distances please!

Hi, I have coccydenia (broken coccyx). I used to exercise regularly in the gym mainly with lots of walking. Since my injury I have not trained due to the pain. I'm on lots of strong pain relief and awaiting further treatment. My weight is fine but I feel so wobbly all over due to lack of tone. I am hoping to give power walking a go. Could you advise me on speeds and distance that will have a toning effect as quickly as possible as I'm not loving my new wobbly bits! Many thanks, Jo

Our expert says...

Hi Jo,

After a period of time without training it is important to return to training steadily with the objective of gradually building the intensity and duration of your exercise over time. Initially try to walk for 15-20 minutes with the goal of increasing this duration by 2-3 minutes every week. Likewise, speed needs to be built up gradually as your fitness increases. Walking at 3.5mph (moderate pace) on the flat burns 243 calories per hour whilst walking at 5mph (very brisk walk) on the flat burns 486 calories per hour. It is important to listen to your body and if you are experiencing any pain or discomfort you must respond by dropping the intensity and/or speed or stop altogether if necessary.

Whilst you're walking it is essential that you pay attention to your posture. Good posture will help to alleviate pressure on the spine,  poor posture may aggravate your back further. To achieve optimum posture when walking consider the following points:

- ensure you are standing tall without leaning forwards or backwards

- keep your head up with your eyes looking straight ahead

- draw in your stomach

- before you start walking shrug once and allow your shoulders to fall and relax down and slightly back

In addition to walking it may be beneficial for you to introduce some exercises to strengthen the muscles surrounding the coccyx. Exercises such as squats and lunges will strengthen the glutes, quads and hip abductors helping to stabilise the coccyx. Avoid exercises that place pressure on the tailbone such as floor crunches, bridges and any movement that involves pelvic rotations. If a strengthening programme is something you are considering I suggest you visit a sports therapist or corrective exercise specialist to ensure you are using the correct technique.

Hope this helps

Kelly