I stumbled into doing 25 minutes walks after the workouts on the bike, makes my body much less sore and less stiff in the next morning. I’m 56 years old. After workouts, I take a few minutes to get a recovery drink, then take a shower, then walk around the neighborhood for 25 minutes. Seems to make my body feel a lot better. I think it also makes my body recover a bit faster. I noticed one day where I had to do a much after a workout, that my body felt better. Then started doing the walks.
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How long are your TR workouts? For example SSB MV the workouts are something like 60-75 minutes during the week, and 90 minutes on the weekend. Do you add time for warmup and cooldown?
60 minutes on Tuesday and Thursday. 90 minutes on Saturday.
I’m a few years older and found that doing 90-150 minute workouts allows for additional time to warmup and cooldown. That really helped me, and its somewhat similar to your post-ride walk.
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Every time I finish a training session, no matter the time of the session, I just want to get off the bike ASAP. It would be interesting to hear a deep dive about what the benefits of long vs short cool down is. Maybe if I knew the specifics I’d stay on a while longer, but I don’t seem to sense a difference. Being over 50 yo though, I do tend to extend the warm up sections by at least 10 minutes … seems it takes me at 15 minutes + to warm up the old engine now a days.
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I’m also doing fewer intervals than you see in typical TR workouts. Fewer intervals, more endurance. Always feeling like I can do more intervals or stay out longer.
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Ahh ok, that makes sense. I just do intensity on the trainer and all my endurance miles are done outside.
Whilst I don’t walk straight after a workout, I have two dogs that need a walk and I’d normally time that for after a TR workout. Certainly not before, especially if it’s intense.
I find short easy walks (30-45min) after hard workouts make my heart rate recover faster. During the walk hr might be 20 beats higher than normally but after it drops really fast.
I guess it activates the parasympathetic nervous system.
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I am alao really finding more walking helps - I’ve actually started quite regularly doing a short walk BEFORE getting on the bike indoors for a hard session. Maybe it counts as an extended warm up but it seems to lead to a better feeling/more productive(?) session after doing it a few times.
As an older (51) athlete the walking is something that I’m generally trying to increase across the board anyway, especially as I am not time constrained these days. No downside I can see so far 
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Interesting, I’d like to join the conversation as once I’m done with TR early morning I have to walk approx. 10-15m to take the train and then get to work.
To be fair, I’m still doubtful of the benefits of walking. When I work from home I feel I can recover more effectively than having to walk. Perhaps a very very easy spin would be more beneficial instead.
But I’m curios to see if there’s any research on walking as active recovery.
edit: in a regular day I can accumulate up to 10k steps including commuting and all which I think might even go against recovery in particular if it’s a hard week.
55 y/o gravel cyclist/triathlete w/ a compromised left knee. I’ve started supplementing my minimal run mileage w/ as much walking (usually 20-30 min’s) as possible. Makes my recovery from run training a lot easier - I suspect because it conditions a lot of the same muscles/tendons and has a lot of the same aerobic benefits as running (increased cardiac output, increased mitochondria/aerobic enzymes etc). As a lifelong runner, it took me a while to get past the “stigma” of walking (the ultimate shame for a runner), but now I actually enjoy it.
I like to walk a bit after runs. No idea about recovery, but it feels nice so I’m doing it 
Can’t say the same for rides, but I guess I usually do a bit of extra endurance after my intervals, and I’m too lazy to get changed haha.
(FWIW I’m 25, but I definitely prefer a longer warmup/cooldown if possible. Helps me unwind if nothing else.)
Think there was a segment on warm ups and cool downs on one of Kolie’s recent podcasts. The short of it is long warm ups don’t do anything special and cool downs and many recovery routines are dubious. Of course they could be wrong.
I like to take a couple short (15-20 min) walks every day. The dogs enjoy it too.
Foot strikes, running or walking, are good for bone health. Even if “recovery” is a placebo it’s all good.
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Yep, though I think he also usually points out that even if there isn’t a measurable performance benefit, if it feels good, lowers stress or RPE then that’s a good thing. Maybe don’t do it because you think your FTP will go up 10% but also don’t skip it if it makes you feel good.
Then I read the rest of your post. Agreed, even placebos are good.
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Almost 59 now and retired. Walk between 1 1/2hrs and 3hrs every day with the dogs. Usually TR comes first and walk isn’t at a fast pace but it’s all off road, fields and woods.
Need to take in fair few carbs before walk after TR workout or I blow sky high!
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36 here and I’d say walking before and after is beneficial. Don’t always get to do it but it makes perfect sense why it feels beneficial. Break up some of that build up you may have accumulated. Walking before is a nice warm up too. Just hard to find the time
Placebos are good because they can still result in tangible improvements. So who cares if it’s a placebo.
My 2 cents is that I think like any kind of training or other stress it depends a lot on what your body is used to. We got dogs in lockdown and so for the last 2 years I’ve been a lot more consistent with doing a good amount of walking, where previously I had days where I’d walk a lot but also days where I wouldn’t really walk more than a few minutes at a time. Previously I found big walking days would leave me with heavy legs and impact overall energy levels and motivation to train. And for the first ~6 months of having the dogs there was certainly an adjustment period in dealing with that extra activity.
Now it’s become normal though, a 60-90 minute brisk walk has no discernible impact on my bike training. I quite often get up, eat, walk the dogs while I’m digesting breakfast, then go straight on a hard ride. Or walking after a ride is a good way of lengthening out all those muscles that are shortened in the riding position. Certainly makes me feel better in a lot of ways.
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