As i was driving home the other day, something popped in my head. I need to relearn how to walk properly. But is there a ‘proper’ way to walk? Ever since i broke my ankle and had to under go surgery to fix it, all i’ve been able to think about is walking again. Bein mobile. You never really understand how much that means to you until it’s taken away. You take it for granted. It’s second nature. So, i got home, ‘hobbled’ into the house and got on the trusting interwebz to figure out “How to walk properly” but what i found instead was a life lesson.

No two people walk quite the same way. Your style of walking is as individual as your fingerprints.
This makes perfect sense. No one has the same life.. while some have similar lives, something somewhere is different. YOUR life is a unique as your fingerprints.

Stretch before and after walking. The heel-to-toe action of walking tends to tighten your calf muscles, so stretching the lower legs is important.
You should think ahead and think it through. Life can wear you down and wind you up. By thinking, your body will thank you later.

Start slowly at a comfortable pace.
There’s no rush, keep it simple, keep yourself happy.

Maintain good posture. Keep ears centered over shoulders, which should be centered over hips. Don’t slump. Keep your chest up and out and shoulders relaxed. With this posture there will be less chance of foot, leg, or back pain.
Confidence. Keep those you love centered in your life. Don’t sweat the bad stuff. Take it in stride and it will make you better.

Heel first, rock, then swing the foot forward. Sounds simple, but as you walk faster it’s harder to maintain the rocking motion. Keep your foot swing natural.
Find a good peace within yourself, hold on to it, and savor it. Sounds simple, but as life flashes by, it’s easy to forget it. Keep your head up and never sway.

Pace yourself. Use the target heart rate to set your pace. Walking at a moderate rate will increase your stamina.
Enjoy the small things, stop and smell the roses. Set small goals and reach them. Just be yourself, stay true, it will make you stonger.

Don’t forget to swing your arms.
Don’t forget to let loose, go a little crazy. You don’t have to do it all the time but it feels damn good when you do!

So, i may walk a little funny now.. and thats ok, because i have what matters most, those i love and those that love me. Thats what makes the world go round and that’s what helps me walk.

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 25th, 2009 at 6:10 am and is filed under Food for Thought. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.