What Powers YOUR Walk?

In the photo below you can see what powers your “walk.” Looks pretty straightforward if you had 8 legs motorized by a machine.

For you and me though it’s a different story. In a continuation of our exploration of the gluteal muscles, this week’s Wednesday 5:30 pm and Friday’s noon classes will focus on how to walk efficiently, from the buttocks.

The Inside Story

Look below at all the muscles in your buttocks — three large outer gluteal muscles and under those are 6 smaller ones. Some of these muscles stabilize the pelvis for efficient muscles usage. Most of these muscles have to do with drawing the leg back during the walking stride. For more anatomy of the gluteals, click here.

The Master Speaks

When Noelle Perez taught walking she often explained, “When walking there is only one leg — the back one.” When you walk well, your forward leg does not pull you forward. When you walk well, your back leg pushes backward. It is that movement, powered by the muscles of your buttocks that propels you forward. When we were very young and crawled on all fours we were preparing to walk. Moving our thigh back when crawling propelled our torso forward. This action is embedded in our physical know-how. In Balance, we are reconnecting to this deep knowing.

The woman walking at the top of the blog from Oaxaca, MX, naturally demonstrates the push from the back leg. Her torso is vertical which allows her legs to freely swing from front to back. Notice the strong contraction in her buttock muscles. Each step she takes, everywhere she goes, her gluteals work. Walking in Balance keeps her joints aligned, safe, and strong as she ages.

So how can you learn to walk in Balance? This week I’ll teach you some “exercises” that have a surprising effect on your walk. When you do them you will find that you are propelled from your back leg, and you float along.

Register for class either Wednesday, January 19, 5:30, or Friday, January 21, at noon, and practice along with me as you learn specific buttock exercises for Balanced walking. Can’t be there for class? If you register, you’ll receive the class recording, whether you can attend or not.

Walk in Balance in 2022,

~Jean Couch