Walking Biomechanics

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• QWhat is good body position for walking?

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  A Jonathan Penney , Fitness, answered on behalf of National Academy of Sports Medicine

  Be sure when walking to follow these recommendations:

  • Stand tall with good posture, try to avoid slouching, especially when you get tired
  • Have your arms bent at about a 90 degree angle to help pump back and forth. You may on the occasion want to shake them out to allow for proper blood circulation
  • Stride within your comfort zone, do not try to over stride

  Oh, have fun!

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• QWhat are some good walking techniques?

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  A Jonathan Penney , Fitness, answered on behalf of National Academy of Sports Medicine

  Some good walking techniques include:

  • Walk at a consistent pace. Following your warm-up try to stay at the same pace throughout your walk
  • Walk with good posture, keep your chest tall from start to finish
  • Bring some music to keep you motivated but be sure to keep it low enough to hear traffic
  • Walk with a partner, this may help you walk longer
  • Walk at different times to avoid from your body getting used to walking at the same time everyday
  • HAVE FUN!!!

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• QIs there a proper way to walk?

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  A Rick Olderman , Physical Therapy, answered

  When walking, shorten the length of your step so that when your foot strikes the ground, you are striking less through the heel and more through your midfoot or forefoot. Unlock the right knee prior to striking the foot down onto the floor. Make sure the hips are over the foot at footstrike, not behind it. This is the most common movement fault I see with walking, that the hips are too far behind the foot instead of over it. When the body is over the foot (weight-bearing through the arch) and the knee is unlocked at foot strike, the gluteals (gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles) should naturally turn on. If they do not, then there are three possible causes:
  
  1) The hip is still too far behind the foot.
  2) The knee is not unlocked.
  3) You are not weight-bearing through your arch.
  
  Lean your hips forward over the knee to engage the gluteus muscles. Now do you feel them? Bend the knee further, maintaining weight through the arch of the foot or bend forward at the hip to get them to turn on. Try this on the other side too.

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• QWhat can I do about flapping feet when walking?

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  A Jonathan Penney , Fitness, answered on behalf of National Academy of Sports Medicine

  The answer will truly depend on what you are referring to. Your best bet will be to meet with a certified coach that is able to assist and instruct you how to run properly. We all run different but being able to run correctly will benefit you.

• QWhat can I do about slapping feet when walking?

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  A Jonathan Penney , Fitness, answered on behalf of National Academy of Sports Medicine

  As you walk, try to focus on controlling your feet as you lower and lift. This at first will be challenging and may seem awkward. Try completing this when walking from the parking lot to your desk. The more you practice and the better you will get. Eventually you will be a pro and slap no more!

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• QWhat is flapping feet when walking?

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  A Jonathan Penney , Fitness, answered on behalf of National Academy of Sports Medicine

  Much will depend on what exactly you are referring to.  Below is a description of what you may be referring to.  Please contact me with further questions:

  • Foot drop is caused by weakness or paralysis of the muscles below the knee involved in lifting the front part of the foot. The underlying causes of foot drop are varied. Often, neurological, muscular and anatomical problems overlap.

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• QWhat is slapping feet when walking?

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  A Jonathan Penney , Fitness, answered on behalf of National Academy of Sports Medicine

  Foot slapping is often described as the following:

  • Foot drop, sometimes called drop foot, is a general term for difficulty lifting the front part of the foot. If you have foot drop, you may drag the front of your foot on the ground when you walk.

  Often times this can be fixed but may require use of a brace around the ankle. Each case will vary.

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• QWhat is good form for moving my arms when walking?

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  A Jonathan Penney , Fitness, answered on behalf of National Academy of Sports Medicine

  When you are walking you should have your arms slightly bent. A good way to envision would be to have your arms bent at a 90 degree angle. This will help give you momentum to pump your arms as you walk. You may have your arms bent slightly less but this will depend on your comfort level.  Be sure to shake your arms out periodically to allow blood to flow to all extremities.

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