DIFFICULTY WALKING

When it is difficult to walk, many other aspects of our life are affected. Suddenly our world becomes smaller. We can be on our feet only a short period of time. We cannot attend events which require climbing stairs or which are too far to walk. We can't travel as we had hoped to be able to do. Difficulty walking often presages other issues of aging and a sedentary lifestyle. 

We think that difficulty walking is a natural part of the aging process and we do little to change our course. But there are many ways to make it easier and safer to walk. We can reduce the likelihood of falling directly as well. 

Ways you can make walking less effort and safer:

Here are 13 different things that affect walking. 
Use any of these approaches to make walking safer and easier. 
Click on the green links below:

Walking 101: The simplest instructions on how to walk safely.
​Advice About Walking: Guidelines during NOVID-19.
Conscious Walking: Stop having falls while walking.
Walk Much More Easily: A specific, safe method that works. 
Stop Shuffling Your Feet: The most important thing.
​Develop Leg Fitness: Regain leg strength and flexibility.
Stop Leg Cramps: Eliminate leg muscle spasms.
Lower Back Pain: Reduce pain and be able to pick your feet up.
​Knee Problems: How to improve the health of painful knees.
Abdominals: Increase core strength and improve everything.
Getting Suddenly Dizzy: Learn how to stabilize yourself.
Reduce Head Motion: One way to reduce dizziness.
Where to Look When You Walk: A perennial question.
Reduce Neuropathy Symptoms: Help inflamed or numb feet.
Visualize Foot Health: Improve foot health without moving.

Increase flexibility in the hips, knees, ankles and foot joints.

Foot and leg health is of prime importance in improving balance. Always take the best care of your feet. Visit a podiatrist on a regular basis. Receive foot massages monthly and your body will thank you.

Why does walking get so much harder with age?

  • We are less active. We sit more. Our circulation decreases. Our leg and core fitness deteriorate.
  • We become stiff: Our legs and back tighten the more inactive we are. Muscles on the back of the legs shorten and tighten due to increased sitting. Leg cramps result.
  • Our foot joints stiffen and fix. As a result we are not able to roll through our feet as we walk. Instead, we use our feet as single blocks, placing significant increased stress on our joints with each block like step just as our joints become more fragile with age.
  • We have problems with our knees from prior injuries and arthritis, making it painful to bend the knees as you walk.
  • We lose leg strength. We loose 1% of our muscle mass every year after the age of 50 unless we do something about it.
  • We lose core strength because we sit so much and that makes it harder to lift our legs as we walk. It also exacerbates any lower back problems which in turn affect our walking adversely.
  • Lower back pain makes it difficult to pick our feet up.
  • Neuropathy can introduce many problems walking. Stepping can become tentative because we are less sure of our balance.
  • We use poor walking habits especially regarding where to look when we walk. We look down instead of where we are going. This increases fall risk substantially and makes walking tentative. In a secure environment, practice where to look while walking. (See the article above.)
  • We become cautious as we feel more nervous about walking, especially after having a fall. We shuffle too much as a result.​
Most of these factors cause us to drag our feet as we walk. Shuffling our feet is a contributing factor to the majority of falls.  If you are concerned about not falling, learn to pick your feet up when you walk and you will dramatically lower the likelihood of having a fall. If walking is a problem for you, find a subject from those above that is compelling and follow the article's advice. Change how you walk. It takes practice and concentration but the rewards are tremendous. Rewards including being able to go to your granddaughter's graduation.

Each of the 4 Building Better Balance DVDs contain dedicated exercises for improving leg and foot health. The movements vary from DVD to DVD. In addition the following subjects are covered:

1) The second DVD of the series (Legs & Feet) includes significant exercises to improve leg fitness while teaching the Roll and Push method to make walking far easier.

2) The special feature on that DVD is a separate exercise routine for neuropathy of the feet.

3) The 4th DVD (Arthritis etc.) contains a wonderful exercise routine for anyone with problem knees.