10 Common Walking Aches and Expert-Backed Ways to Ease Them

Walking offers plenty of benefits: it can boost your mood, ease stress, and provide a simple, low-effort way to stay active. It also supports heart health and healthy aging. Still, after enough miles, you may begin to feel pain in your feet, knees, back, or hips and wonder whether to keep going or change your routine.

There are several reasons your feet and the rest of your body may start hurting. Repeating the same motion over and over, whether through years of walking or running, can affect how muscles and joints feel after being used in the same way for so long.

Age can also influence how exercise feels. As you get older, flexibility tends to decline, and muscle mass and bone density naturally decrease, which can affect how your joints move and feel. Foot changes such as flatter arches, widening feet, or loss of the fat pad that cushions the foot can also happen. Without strength work and other countermeasures, pain, balance issues, and mobility problems may appear over time.

Any new pain is worth discussing with a doctor, especially if it is sharp or severe. Below, experts explain some of the most common walking-related pains and how to manage them so you can keep moving comfortably.

Experts quoted here include Teresa Schuemann, P.T., D.P.T., a physical therapist at Evidence in Motion in Texas; Joel Press, M.D., physiatrist-in-chief at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City; and Sheila Dugan, M.D., physiatrist and chair of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Rush Medical College.

Plantar Fasciitis

What it feels like: Tenderness on your heel or the bottom of your foot

What it is: The plantar fascia is the band of tissue stretching from the heel bone to the ball of the foot. When this structure is strained, small tears can form and the tissue can stiffen as a protective response, leading to plantar fasciitis. People with high arches or who pronate are especially vulnerable. “Walkers can overwork the area when pounding the pavement, especially when you wear hard shoes on concrete, because there’s very little give as the foot lands,” says Teresa Schuemann, P.T., D.P.T.

How to treat it: At the first sign of stiffness in the bottom of your foot, try this stretch: Sit with the ankle of the affected foot across the opposite thigh. Pull your toes toward your shin until you feel a stretch in your arch. Use your other hand to feel along the sole of your foot; you should notice a taut band of tissue. Do 10 stretches, holding each one for 10 seconds.

Ingrown Toenail

What it feels like: Soreness or swelling along the sides of your toes

What it is: Toenail pain can develop when the corners or edges of the nail grow sideways instead of forward, pressing into nearby soft tissue and sometimes into the skin. Risk increases if shoes are too short or too tight, because the toe experiences repeated trauma with each step. If that pressure lasts too long, such as during a long hike or charity walk, bleeding under the nail can occur and the nail may eventually fall off.

How to treat it: Leave enough room in your shoes. You may need to go up a half size when buying sneakers, since feet often swell during exercise. When trimming your nails, cut straight across instead of rounding the corners.

Bunion

What it feels like: Pain on the side of your big toe

What it is: A bunion forms when the bones in the joint on the outer side of the big toe or little toe become misaligned, creating a painful swelling. Walkers with flat feet, low arches, or arthritis may be more likely to develop one.

How to treat it: Choose shoes with a wide toe box. Over-the-counter bunion pads can help cushion the area, and icing for 20 minutes after walking may reduce pain and inflammation. In severe cases, surgery may be needed to remove the bony protrusion and realign the toe joint.

Achilles Tendinitis

What it feels like: Pain in the back of your heel and lower calf

What it is: The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscle to the heel and can become irritated from too much walking, especially if you are new to exercise or recently returned after a break. Repeated foot flexing while walking uphill, downhill, or over uneven ground can also strain it.

How to treat it: Cut back on mileage and avoid hills, since they increase the stretch on the tendon and can make it weaker, says Dr. Schuemann. Calf stretches before and after walks may help prevent Achilles tendinitis. After walking, ice the area for 15 to 20 minutes to lessen inflammation and pain. You can also take a temporary break from walking and choose non-weight-bearing activities such as swimming until symptoms improve.

Lumbar Strain

What it feels like: Ache in the middle to lower back

What it is: You can strain your back doing almost anything, and walking can worsen an existing lower-back injury. It can be even easier to strain the area when tendons and ligaments around the spine are overworked. Arthritis or inflammation in nearby nerves can also trigger lower-back pain.

How to treat it: A strong core can help protect against back pain, so include abdominal exercises in your regular routine. While walking, focus on good posture and avoid bending forward at the waist, which can happen when moving quickly or going uphill, adds Dr. Schuemann.

Neuroma

What it feels like: Pain in the ball of your foot or between your toes

What it is: When tissue around a nerve near the base of the toes thickens, it can cause tingling, numbness, or pain that spreads to nearby areas. It often develops between the base of the third and fourth toes.

How to treat it: See a podiatrist at the first sign of foot pain, since the condition can worsen quickly and treatment ranges from roomier shoes to surgery depending on severity. Wear walking shoes with a roomy toe box and limit how often you use heels or tight shoes that squeeze the toes.

Shin splints

What it feels like: Stiffness or soreness in your shins

What it is: Repeated impact from activities such as walking and running can inflame the muscles and tissues around the shins, leading to pain.

How to treat it: Reduce walking for three to eight weeks so the tissues can heal. “If it hurts to walk, avoid it,” says Joel Press, M.D. Ibuprofen and ice packs may help reduce pain and inflammation, and this stretch can also help: while standing, lift your toes toward your shins 20 times.

Bursitis

What it feels like: Soreness on the outside of your hips

What it is: Although hip pain can have many causes, the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the hip joint can become inflamed from repetitive stress.

How to treat it: Mix walking with other cardio such as biking or swimming, and add hip-strengthening exercises. Warm up and cool down before and after your walk, and make time to stretch. An over-the-counter anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen may help, along with ice or heat packs.

Runner’s Knee

What it feels like: Throbbing in front of your kneecap

What it is: Frequent walking can cause the kneecap to rub against the femur, leading to cartilage damage and tendinitis that trigger pain. People with a prior injury, reduced knee cartilage, or flat feet may be especially prone.

How to treat it: Pause walking and switch to another form of exercise until the pain fades. Lower-body strength training can help build the quads and nearby muscles so the knees bear less pressure.

Stress Fracture

What it feels like: Sharp pain in your foot or lower leg

What it is: If a spot on your foot or lower leg is tender or painful when pressed, you may have a stress fracture, which is a tiny crack in a bone. These injuries are most common in the lower leg and often happen when repeated stress overloads the muscles, shifting shock absorption to the bone instead.

How to treat it: See a doctor, who will likely advise you to rest for several weeks so the bone can heal. “You need to get off your feet to avoid loading the bones,” says Sheila Dugan, M.D. Replace walking shoes once the inner cushioning wears down so you still have enough shock absorption. For better bone health, do lower-body strength training twice a week and include bone-friendly foods in your diet.