This video challenges the conventional way we walk, arguing that the common habit of overstriding (landing with your foot far in front of your body) is inefficient and potentially harmful. The central theme is to re-learn a more natural, optimal walking gait by focusing on foot placement and muscle engagement to improve efficiency and reduce joint stress.
The Problem with Overstriding
Overstriding, or throwing your legs out in front of you, creates several issues:
- It strains the hip flexors.
- It acts as a braking force with every step, wasting energy and increasing the risk of slipping.
- It sends a jarring shockwave through the joints (ankle, knee, hip, back).
- It causes you to land on the heel bone rather than the natural fat pad located underneath the heel.
The Natural Walking Technique
The proposed solution is to land with your foot directly underneath your center of mass. This is achieved by shifting from pulling yourself forward to pushing yourself forward.
- Core Principle: Use your glutes and hamstrings (the largest muscles in your body) to push your body forward, similar to an ice skater.
- How to Practice: Lift one foot slightly off the ground. Consciously use the glute and hamstring of your standing leg to push your body forward. Allow the raised leg to simply swing forward and land underneath you to catch your weight. It may feel robotic at first but will become smoother with practice.
- Hacks to Help: Wear flat, zero-drop shoes to avoid being tilted back, lean slightly forward from the ankles, and try walking barefoot on a textured surface to get immediate sensory feedback on your form.
Techniques for Walking on Hills
- Downhill: The key is to bend your knees and continue landing with your foot underneath your center of mass. This allows your leg muscles to absorb the impact rather than your joints.
- Uphill: An effortless technique involves twisting your torso away from your grounded foot. This stretches the opposite hip flexor like a rubber band. As you untwist to take the next step, this tension is released, helping to spring your leg forward with much less effort.
Conclusion
The video’s main takeaway is that by consciously avoiding overstriding and instead using your posterior chain to propel yourself forward, you can walk more efficiently and safely. This natural technique reduces joint impact, builds functional strength, and can make walking, especially on hills, feel significantly easier. Adopting minimalist footwear is also recommended to facilitate this natural movement.
Mentoring question
After learning about overstriding, have you noticed this pattern in your own walking? What’s one small change you could experiment with on your next walk to feel the difference?
Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=k2TfeNnYawU&si=wUtqs424oM83KSly
Leave a Reply