kimcottrell
When you were little, you likely learned to “stand up straight.” And, it seemed that meant you were to throw your shoulders back and suck your stomach in and keep your feet together and not breathe.
Consider an alternative. What if good posture is dynamic? What if good posture means you can fluidly and easily and quickly adapt your position to do what you want to do in that moment? That dynamic posture would help you reach and move in any direction, at any time, without a lot of preparation. You could breathe, you could relax, you could be ready for what would come.
Examining one's gait can come in many forms.
Walking requires that same readiness and dynamic posture. To be able to move in any direction at any time means you could adjust your step and maintain solid footing, you could back up and not slip on something dangerous, and you could get the most pushing power from being ready to move in any direction.
Quick Assessment: Stand barefoot on a hard floor. Notice where the pressure rests on the soles of your feet. Do you lean more on your heels? More on the balls of your feet? What about the inside edges, do your feet fall in? Or, do you lean on the outer edges and more toward the back? Discover your particular pattern. We are, each one of us, different and unique.
Now put your shoes back on and slowly walk the length of a block. Bring your attention to exactly where you come down on your foot and how the weight gets transferred from the back of your foot to the front of your foot. Go slowly enough that you can really feel if there is a difference between left and right. Most of us will have some pattern, but see what yours is.
Are you way back on your heels? This is the most typical gait and when you are in this posiiton, you are at a disadvantage. You need to push or pull yourself forward. When you are more forward in your gait, when your head and shoulders go along with that pattern and slightly lean forward, you can simply move forward and catch yourself. It’s not falling, but it can feel like falling forward. However, in this more neutral position, if you need to back up suddenly, you can still do that.
Experiment with this leaning into the forward part of your foot. Over-exaggerate so you can really get the feeling of it. Once you have the feeling, you can back off and find the “middle,” what isn’t pushing forward and what isn’t leaning backward. And, what we’re describing here is your whole body, but particularly what is happening at your feet and ankles.
Another way to determine if you are not adjusted in neutral for your walk is to look at the shape of your spine. Some people look like they are slumped over and yet they are standing up. It’s as if the posture they might sit in at their desk got carried out for a walk. But, since walking is falling forward, the spine needs to participate in a way that it can be long and fluid. That allows your shoulders to be loose, your head to be supported, your eyes to relax and your body to turn in any way you want to go with some simple adjustments of your shoulders, spine, or eyes.
Experiment, play, figure out what is new and different for you. It will feel strange at first. One thing that is sure. If you stay on your heels, you’ll see the wear on the heels of your shoes. Walkers should not be wearing out the heels of their shoes. That means too much force is coming down on the heels. Next week, we’ll talk about force in feet and ankles. In the meantime, go “listen” to your ankles and the soles of your feet. You will learn about you and in the “listening,” things will begin to change. Resist the urge to “make” them change. Just watch. See what happens.
