HOW TO WALK LIKE A MATURE AND HEALTHY HUMAN BEING

The holiday season is upon us, and here in New England we often fill our short and dark days not only with a fair amount of lights… but also a fair amount of getting together with others. Often times these gatherings involved a fair amount of food.

And often times when these get togethers occur, it is also common for some to partake in a bit of a walk after the main course.

After all, you got to help things settle and make room for desert right?

Sure, depending on if seconds were had it may initially be more of a waddle than anything else, but for many of us this walk will work really well. After a certain distance most of us will feel more comfortable, and by the time we return to where ever the get together may be there is indeed some sort of new room present or pending for the next course.

Now, there are a number of reasons why this works so well, and is so often done… with the fact that the food we eat has to be physically moved through out bodies in a churning manner absolutely being the largest of them all.

No different than the agitation that our washing machines places on the dirty clothes we put in them, our eaten food in all its stages has to be pushed and squished in order to be moved and used in an effective way.

And while there does not seem to exist an ideal distance or step count that would make a one walk aide in digestion and defecation more than the other, there is a manner.

Essentially, it is not how many steps you take that matters… it is how those steps are taken.

It is not entirely how much you walk… but mainly how you walk that tends to have the impact.

Because walking upright is not only completely unique to our species, and arguably even is part of what defines being human…but walking is also an enormous part of how we regulate multiple body systems, including our well being.

Again, this only works when you walk in a very particular manner.

The good news is, this is the manner that we all have evolved to take on. This manner is simply how we are designed to move both effectively and efficiently as a species, and mature and ideal human gait.

Whether it is aiding in digestion, circulation, respiration, cognition, creativity, arousal state, emotional state and even your psychological state… a lot of what allows us to function ideally in all these areas comes back to being able to stand upright and free our heads and hands to look about, explore and create in the world.

Now I am sure if you have read this far you are wondering what exactly those components that make up healthy and mature adult human gait are. While there is absolutely more to ideal gait than these three pieces, the core components are…

One…Your gaze and face is aimed generally forward, and/or out on the horizon and the world around you.

Two…Your arms should move as much as your legs, and in an opposite arm and leg manner.

Three…Your feet should move in a rolling heel to toe manner.

For some, the first component will be a difficult thing to adjust.

For others, the third will be a bit of a challenge. Some tend to plod, shuffle or even stomp their way through rooms, hallways and life in general.

However, it is the second one that really tends to shock some folks when they first hear it.

If for whatever reason you still are feeling on the fence about the above, just remember that 25 years ago they made a Seinfeld episode about a lady that did not swing her arms when she walked.

What is now common, was considered comedy then.

If you’re curious, you can watch portions of that episode by CLICKING HERE.

Truly though, the three components I list above are just the tip of the iceberg, and if you would like to know more about this then I recommend you watch the video linked below. In it I not only go into greater detail about these components, but I also provide ways in which to both monitor and adjust your gait in real time without the risk of being neurotically rigid.

This is also known as overthinking…

Additionally I cover a simple exercise to practice the components of mature, healthy adult human gait. This exercise is one that can be taken on by most folks, requires no equipment, and while it will not end world hunger it most certainly will teach most folks how to walk with great fluidity and ease in a very short period of time.

If that sounds like your cup of tea…or slice of pie…then by all means watch the video below.

Regardless, I hope you find the above helpful, and I hope you’re comfortable, able and well.