WALK MUCH MORE EASILY

As we age we often start having problems walking for a variety of reasons. Our legs become heavy. We feel weaker. Our feet have more problems. All of this results in becoming less active which in turn accelerates the process of aging. One of the most important things to do if you want to change this outcome is to learn a different walking technique. Your legs will feel so much lighter. Strength will not be an issue. Your feet will work better. And most important of all, YOU WILL STOP SHUFFLING YOUR FEET.

Here are the basic guidelines for the best way of walking:

  1. As you walk, concentrate on putting your heel down first and then push off with the back foot. 
  2. Roll through your foot as you step.
  3. Make sure you are looking straight ahead as you walk
  4. Try practicing this in place, till you get a feel for the natural suppleness of the movement as your foot, ankle, knee and hip joints gently bend in sequence in an almost serpentine way.
  5. This method requires improving the flexibility of your foot, ankle and knee joints.
  6. As your joints become more movable, you’ll notice that very little effort is involved. The movement is also good for your hips and lower back. 
  7. You will step up and over things instead of stumbling and falling and your legs will feel so much lighter.
  8. You will stop shuffling your feet!

When in doubt, pick your feet up. Whenever challenges present themselves, whether it is rain or illness or difficulty – picking your feet up will always help. It’s a great focus when times are difficult.

The 2nd DVD in the Building Better Balance series, Legs & Feet: Walking Made Easier, shows you in detail what to do to learn this wonderful way of walking.

SUCCESS STORIES:

A student told me recently that while walking, a branch from a tree suddenly blew down right in front of her. She stepped upon it and over it and kept right on walking without getting unsteady or falling or breaking stride! All because of this method.

Another student had terrible spinal stenosis, a painful irritation of the nerves in the back. He found this walking technique had an extra benefit: The gentle use of the hips in this method relieved the pain caused by the stenosis. The push way of walking had improved the health of his back.

A student of Building Better Balance at 90: "Last week I had to go to my doctor for a stress test and was on the treadmill. I just started rolling through the feet (like you teach us) and kept on walking. The doctor eventually told me to stop. I could have gone on another 30 minutes. Walking has become so easy." At a later meeting, his doctor said that he had never seen another patient perform better on a stress test! The walking technique this gentleman used on the treadmill is taught in the Legs & Feet DVD.