When walking makes your legs hurt

Four conditions that can affect your legs and make walking painful

Updated: August 1, 2017

Published: June, 2008

Fitness experts used to stress the benefits of heavy-duty aerobic exercise — the kind that makes you breathe hard and gets your heart going. But the message changed to moderation after a number of studies showed that physical activity that's far less taxing is associated with lower rates of heart disease, some cancers, and several other illnesses — if it's done regularly. Plain old walking usually tops the moderate-intensity exercise list because it's easy, convenient, and free, and it requires minimal equipment — a comfortable pair of shoes.

The trouble is that walking isn't so easy for everyone. Indeed, it's agony for many. And forget the "brisk" pace of three to four miles per hour advised for health and fitness. With age — and occasionally without it — a number of conditions can result in leg pain after walking and make walking difficult. Some are very familiar, such as arthritis that makes knees and hips creaky; others, such as peripheral artery disease, aren't. Here are four nonarthritic conditions that cause leg pain and may affect walking, and some ways to treat and manage them — no need to limp and bear it.

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