The COVID-19 pandemic, which has deeply affected our daily life and greatly interrupted our physical activities, especially for the last year, poses a high risk for weight gain and general health problems due to inactivity.

Millions of people across the world were obligated to stay home in a bid to fight the deadly virus and as a result did not have a chance to go to a gym or go on outdoor walks or runs, a situation which can negatively affect both physical and mental health.

During the pandemic, it is necessary to avoid being inactive and to exercise regularly, even at home, said Tolga Aydoğ, a physical therapy and rehabilitation specialist at Acıbadem Fulya Hospital in Istanbul.

"The positive effect of exercise on the heart, bones, muscles, immune system, mood and sleep has been known for a long time. However, in order to have effects on these systems in terms of health, exercise should be done in sufficient amount, intensity and variety just like taking medicine," Aydoğ said, adding that if a person who does not exercise at all starts exercising even at a very low intensity, he is likely to see serious positive results right away.

"You can walk, run or do anything else, just move," Aydoğ said.

However, to get effective results from walking or running there are some suggestions that you might want to follow. Here are nine tips for you to get the most out of your workout routine.

Keep track of time

Experts recommend adults go on fast-paced walks at least three days a week for 25 minutes or moderate-paced walks for at least five days a week for 30 minutes for their cardiovascular system. If half an hour is too much for you, you could also do 10 minutes walks, as there are studies that prove that short walks are also beneficial for your health. Some techie products like a smartwatch or a step counting application on your phone will help you to keep track of your activities and will also provide additional motivation.

Drink water

It is very important for your performance and health in general to replace the water you lose via sweat while walking. Since the feeling of thirst usually starts when 2% of body water is lost, it should not be left to this point, especially in hot and humid weather. Otherwise, the heart's working capacity and performance will drop.

Check your heart rate and breathing

You should always be in control of your body and not let it suffer during your workout sessions. You will want to keep your eye on your heartbeat and also control your breathing. During a medium-tempo walk, a person is able to speak easily. If this tempo is hard for you, slow down a bit but take a longer walk. Going with a high tempo while not letting yourself breathe properly could be harmful to your health. In general, the body determines the walking speed automatically, so be careful to comply with it.

Choose comfy shoes and clothes that absorb sweat

"All you need while walking is lightweight shoes that do not squeeze your feet and make you comfortable. Pay attention not to the visual quality of your shoes, but to the comfort of your feet," Aydoğ said.

Make sure to wear comfortable clothes that absorb sweat, especially if you are going to walk in the heat.

Try to increase your walking speed

Taking faster but smaller steps increases your speed. If you are listening to music and adjusting your step with the rhythm here, choose faster songs to increase your step count and therefore speed.

According to recent researches, increasing your walking speed is beneficial to your well-being, especially for the elderly.

Push yourself forward and upward with the toes

Pushing your body with your toes and swinging your arms quickly will make walking more efficient and faster. Having the right posture will also allow your lungs to ventilate more efficiently.

Walking on a treadmill

In many countries, including Turkey, gyms have been closed due to lockdowns. As a result, many people tried to do home workouts and some decided to buy equipment like treadmills.

Having a treadmill in the house could be beneficial as you can continue to do your walking and running workouts regardless of the weather, especially in wintertime. However, since there are a wide variety of treadmills on the market, their performance and characteristics are very different. Before getting one make sure it has proper shock absorbers, which are usually present under the area of the deck where the belt rests.

Also, always go on walks or run with shoes on to prevent exercise-related problems and injuries. This is especially important for overweight individuals with health problems in their legs and knees.

If possible, walk on dirt

Walking on concrete floors creates problems for joints, but walking on extremely shock-absorbing floors such as trampolines can also cause serious balance problems. Therefore, medium shock-absorbing surfaces such as tartan track and dirt are the healthiest options. You should be careful about the surface you choose to walk on as it is one of the most important conditions for avoiding problems while exercising.

If you have heart and lung problems, do not walk in the cold

In general, those who have heart and lung problems should be very careful while working out and make sure they do not harm themselves. While cold air adversely affects the blood supply in the heart and peripheral vessels, polluted air may adversely affect lung ventilation. Therefore, individuals with general health problems should be more careful when doing sports in such weather.