About P.A.D.: Walking and P.A.D.: Walking Program

Walking Program:

What steps do I need to take to get the most out of my P.A.D. walking program?

Research studies show that people with P.A.D. get the best results when they attend a supervised, structured walking program that uses the steps described below.

Step 1

Warm up. (5 minutes)— Start each session by walking slowly for two or three minutes to loosen up your legs. Do some easy stretching. Stretch your calf and thigh muscles in each leg for 10 to 15 seconds. Use the stretches shown below as a guide.

Wall Push—Stretch your calf by leaning your hands against a wall and stand about 3 to 4 feet away from the wall. Bring one foot closer to the wall, bend the knee and point it toward the wall. Keep your back leg straight, with your foot flat and your toes pointed straight ahead. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds and repeat with the other leg.
Leg Curl—Stretch the front of your right thigh by leaning your left hand against the wall. Pull your right foot to your buttocks with your right hand. Keep your knee pointing straight to the ground. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds. Lean your right hand against the wall and then repeat the thigh stretch with your left foot and hand.

Step 2

Start walking.— Walk at a pace that will produce a mild or moderate amount of pain within 3 to 5 minutes. The pain may feel like a “Charlie horse,” a cramp or tightness in your calf or thigh. On a scale of 1 to 5, you would rate mild pain a 3 and moderate pain a 4.

Step 3

Stop and rest.— When you reach a pain level of 3 or 4, stop and rest until the pain goes away. You can rest standing or sitting.

Step 4

Repeat the Walk and Stop steps.— After the pain is gone, repeat the walk and rest steps several times. Although it may hurt, you need to walk fast enough to feel mild to moderate pain in your legs. If you don’t feel pain, you may not be working hard enough to get the rewards of the program. You may have been told to stop exercising when you feel any pain such as pain in your chest. The goal for a P.A.D. program, however, is to reach a moderate level of leg pain before you stop. During the first two months of your walking program, build up slowly to walking a total of 35 minutes each session, not counting the rest breaks. Add a few minutes each week as you improve. Over time, try to add 5 minutes to your sessions each week to reach the goal of 50 minutes of total walking time.

Step 5

Cool down.— Finish each walking session by walking slowly again for the last 5 minutes. Take a few minutes to stretch your calf and thigh muscles again. After stretching, cross your hands to your shoulders and give yourself a hug for the great workout you just finished.

Step 6

Stick with your walking program.— Once you have achieved your goal of 50 minutes of walking time at least 3 to 5 times a week, stay with your program. As walking becomes easier and you can go farther without pain, challenge yourself to work harder. Try walking up hills or stairs as part of your walking session. Or add an incline to your treadmill routine. Mark your calendar each week for the days and times you will walk and try not to get sidetracked. If you miss a walking session, or you’re too busy to walk the full 50 minutes, walk a few minutes a few times a day when you can.