The Ten Most Common Walking Mistakes

Mistake #1: Overstriding

Walking the right way can give you better health, fitness, and attitude. It can help you walk faster and more smoothly. Walking the incorrect way can lead to wasted effort or even injury. Overstriding - When walkers try to walk faster, a natural inclination is to lengthen your stride in front, reaching out further with your foward foot. This leads to a clumsy, ungainly gait, striking hard with the feet. Your shins ache and you really don't get any faster.

The cure - All of the power of your walk comes from pushing with the back leg and foot. If you are trying to walk faster, concentrate on taking shorter, quicker steps. Then think of really rolling through your step with your back foot and leg, getting a good push off. The result will be faster feet and lengthening your stride where it does you some good - in back.

#2 The Wrong Shoes

If this describes your shoes, you are setting yourself up for muscle pulls and knee problems:

Heavy Stiff Soles won't bend, can't twist them. Over 1 year old Too small when foot swells while walking

The cure - Get fit for the right shoes at a technical running shoe store in your area. The athletic shoe experts will make sure you get the right shoe for overpronation, flexible and comfortable enough for walking, sized right for the swelling everyone's feet have while walking.

#3 Flapping, Slapping Feet

This means that instead of rolling through the step with your forward foot, it is flattening out prematurely. Either you are fighting stiff, heavy shoes or your shins are too weak to let you roll through the step:

Your feet hit the ground with a slap. You land flat footed with each step and get no roll. You may develop shin pain.

The cure: Get flexible shoes that bend at the ball of the foot. A pair of running shoes with a low heel is best. To strengthen your shins, ankle, and lower leg: Toe raises: Stand on a stair facing upstairs with your heels hanging over the edge. Dip the heels down, then raise them high. Repeat 10-20 times. Step Stretch Toe Raises Foot fun: While sitting around, several times a day, tap your toes quickly for several seconds. Then write the alphabet in the air with your foot. Repeat with the other foot. Heel walking: As part of your warm-up, walk on your heels for 30 seconds.

#4 No Arms

You keep your arms still at your sides while walking, or swing them without bending them. You notice that your hands swell quite a bit while walking. A normal walking motion uses the arms to counterbalance the leg motion. A walker can add power and speed by using the arms effectively. Long, straight arms act like a long pendulum, slowing you down.

The cure - Bend your arms 90 degrees and swing them naturally back and forth opposite the leg motion.

#5 Chicken Winging

OK, you know to bend your arms when you walk. But you swing them from side to side, crossing the center of your body and extending out to endanger passersby. Or your fists come up on each swing past your breast, up even to your chin or threatening your nose.

The cure - Keep your elbows close to your body and swing your arms mostly back and foward, as if reaching for your wallet from a back pocket on the backstroke. As they come forward, your hands should not cross the center line and should come up no further than your breasts. This arm motion will give power to your walk. Your feet generally move only as fast as your arms. This motion lets you concentrate on power from your rear leg without wasting motion in front of your body. It also looks far less silly. OK, you know to bend your arms when you walk. But you swing them from side to side, crossing the center of your body and extending out to endanger passersby. Or your fists come up on each swing past your breast, up even to your chin or threatening your nose.

#6 Head Down

You are always looking down, hanging your head and staring at your feet.