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Walking while thinking – Thinking and stepping training

Thinking and stepping training

Exercise 5: Walking while thinking

You walk a set distance and solve a counting or word task at the same time.

Aim

You keep your walking safe while your attention is on a second task. The technical term is a dual task.

Equipment in the practice

  • A ten metre walkway
  • A stopwatch
  • Cones or tape for the turning marks

Equipment at home

  • A hallway or room with six to ten metres of clear space
  • Two chairs, one at each end
  • A second person who walks along and counts the answers

Setting up

  • Clear the route. Rug edges, cables and door thresholds go away.
  • Mark the start and the end.
  • Put a chair at each end.
  • Decide which thinking task you will use before you start.

How to do it

  1. Walk the route twice at your usual pace, without a thinking task.
  2. Sit down and work on the thinking task for one minute while seated.
  3. Now walk the route twice while solving the same task.
  4. The second person counts out loud how many correct answers come.
  5. Rest for two minutes and repeat the whole thing two to three times.
  6. Compare at the end: how much slower did you get, and how many answers dropped away?

Three levels

Level 1: collecting words

Name animals while walking, then occupations, then things from the kitchen. The route is straight and the floor is even.

Level 2: counting backwards

Count backwards in threes from a number between 80 and 100. The route now includes a turn.

Level 3: counting and avoiding

You keep counting backwards. The second person calls "stop", "left" or "right". Also place two rolled-up towels on the route.

If you practise on your own

Choose a task that needs no checking: saying the days of the week backwards, counting back from 100 in sevens, or collecting first names starting with a given letter. Speak out loud while you do it. Skip level 3 when nobody is with you.

Safety

  • If you stop walking while you speak, the task is too hard. Go back one level.
  • If you stop repeatedly as soon as someone speaks to you, discuss this with us or with your doctor.
  • Do not practise this outdoors on public paths until level 2 goes safely.
  • Turn slowly. The turn is the least stable part of the route.

Duration and dosage

Ten to twelve minutes. Two to three times a week. This exercise is the closest to everyday life and belongs in every session.

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