-- by Tom Phillips
I got a new way to walk!
I made it up myself, incorporating tips from Pilates and various types
of dance. It’s fast, efficient, and easy
on the joints. Of course, the online
world is already well stocked with tips on how best to carry on this simplest of human exercises, so much of what I suggest may be familiar. But I checked, and nobody else puts it together
quite this way. So here it is, my new
way to walk:
Lift your gut, drop the tailbone, and soften your
knees. Tilt slightly forward, and
glide.
To expand:
Lifting the gut doesn’t have to be strenuous, just enough to
get some weight off the hips. The more weight
you can carry upstairs, the less pressure on the lower joints.
Dropping the tailbone means bringing the upper body into a
vertical line, in preparation for moving.
Softening the knees is not really bending them, just not locking
them. A locked joint is a poor shock
absorber.
How to start moving?
Rather than use muscle, just tip the whole body
slightly forward, leading with the sternum, and one foot will glide out to prevent a fall. Want to go faster? Pull the gut up higher and lean more forward. Don’t
lengthen your stride in front, just push a little harder off the back
foot. Swing your arms gently in
opposition. When you really get going you can speed up by extending your arms in front, with a soft punching motion, out and in.
Don’t walk with both hands in your pockets! I did this last year, tripped over something
and landed on my chin. Eight
stitches. Try my new line of walking
gloves, keep hands warm while swinging them in opposition! Just kidding, this is not a commercial
scheme, just an old man hoping to share his latest self-discovery.
I always disliked walking as an exercise until I discovered
this technique. Now it’s a
pleasure. Walking briskly like this gets
the heart rate up and keeps it there for as long as you want, but doesn’t make
you pant or sweat.
Try it, you might like it.
Lift the gut, drop the tailbone, soften the knees. Tilt slightly forward, and glide. As Miss Piggy sang, I got a new way to walk,
and my new walk suits me fine!
-- Copyright 2013 by Tom Phillips
Get out of the way! Tom's walking!!! Arms out front, softly punching the air.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work - and so glad to be playing with you, too! At least you'll be sitting down. Whew!
ReplyDeleteYou've stumbled (so to speak) into a beautiful way of telling SIMPLY how to walk using the Alexander Technique - which few Alexander teachers seem willing or able to do (for some good reasons when people have years to train). Most people don't do well with the "think up and forward" and "walk with an integrated spine" instructions for many months.
Dear anonymous --- "think up and forward" really helps. Your weight is forward but you don't want to be looking down, you want to push through the air like the prow of a ship. Walking like this makes me feel young and strong!
ReplyDeleteYou forgot the part about talking to yourself as you go.... ;-)
ReplyDelete