Squatting in public? Are you serious!

May 22, 2025
12:31 pm

Don't you look daft?

When I talk to people about adding strength and balance exercises to a walk they sometimes look at me as if I am bonkers – which those who know me might confirm! However there is method in my madness and whilst I appreciate that it’s easier on the confidence levels to stop and perform exercises if you are with others (as in these images from WALX groups. It’s not as daft or cringe-worthy as it might seem to add them in if you are solo walking….

Heres why!

1. People are not actually interested in you – check them out, most are in their own zones anyway.

2. People are used to seeing runners do a quick stretch or warm up so what’s the difference between that and you performing a balance sequence mid walk

3. Outdoor exercise and Yoga are far more common these days – strike a pose and you are more likely to get a nod of approval than a sneer. Be brave and you will inspire others to embrace the total body walking movement!

3. Finally – and this is where we will concentrate on building your confidence to squat, lunge and pirouette whenever you feel like it……………

Strength exercises are in reality movements we do in our daily lives so here are few you are likely to do when walking anyway

Picking up a dog ball – Rather than opt for the plastic ball picker-upper, you can turn your daily dog walk into a series of squats and lunges. This is perfect as you can walk in between them too. So no more walk to a spot and take the easy option. Walk throw and squat!
Use seats and benches – If you are not ready to use park benches etc. for bench presses and dips, you could start by simply sitting on them and then standing up again! hey presto that a squat if you do not use your arms and whose going to notice if you sit back down and do it again? Get comfortable with that and you will soon be hovering over the bench and repeating the action without actually sitting down. You might be lucky enough to have a park with benches located all around…. RESULT!
Step it up – I say it in the book and I will say it again – never pass a bandstand or flight of steps without thinking about how it can become your outdoor gym. You may not fancy a quick whizz up and down it for CV benefits but you could do some slow step up and hover exercises for strength and balance? You could side step up and down a couple too. You get the idea?
Bond with a tree – If like me, you have to take a minute to bond with magnificent trees, why not perform a few chest presses as you feel the bark, smell the leaves or blossom and of course exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen as you breathe in unison!
Be a bit dippy – Once again a bench or low wall and can be used to tone up the back of the arms with a quick dip or two – most people will think you are getting up after a quick sit down but you will have the smug feeling that you have ticked off your weekly strength exercise!

So be inventive, be bold and be confident that it is possible to give your body all it needs by taking a total body walk every day!

Massive thanks to the WALX Coast and Country group who regularly go total body walking with my colleague Denise Page!