These 4 walking postures will cause your joints to deform and your body to become crooked!

Walking is something that most of us must do in our daily lives, but did you know that your walking posture may have always been wrong!

Although walking seems simple, there are actually many things to pay attention to. Mastering the correct gait and posture can reduce the risk of injury, improve body shape, and achieve the effect of weight loss and body shaping through walking fitness.

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Correct walking posture

Let’s take the right leg as an example. You can follow the text below to feel the muscle force yourself.

The movement begins when the right heel touches the ground (early stance phase), when the muscles in the posterior thigh (hamstrings), buttocks (gluteus maximus), and the front of the calf (tibialis anterior) are mainly used.

The center of gravity shifts from the right heel to the front of the foot (mid-stance phase), at which time the main forces are exerted by the buttocks (gluteus medius), front thigh muscles (quadriceps femoris) and back calf muscles (gastrocnemius).

When the entire sole of the foot touches the ground and the opposite leg is lifted (mid-stance phase), the posterior calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) are mainly responsible for the force.

When the heel is lifted, the toes are pushed back and the toes are about to leave the ground (late support phase), the muscles on the back of the calf (gastrocnemius and soleus), the muscles on the front of the thigh (quadriceps femoris) and the iliopsoas (inside the lower abdomen) are mainly exerting force.

The right foot is fully lifted (early swing phase), at which time the front calf muscles (tibialis anterior), front thigh muscles (quadriceps femoris) and iliopsoas muscles are mainly used for force.

Lift your right foot and step forward (mid-swing phase). At this time, the front calf muscles (tibialis anterior) are mainly used to control the toes from drooping.

Before the right heel touches the ground again (late swing phase), there is a deceleration process, during which the muscles on the back of the thigh (hamstrings), buttocks (gluteus maximus), front of the calf (tibialis anterior), and front of the thigh (quadriceps femoris) exert force.

Image source: Internet

This is a normal walking cycle of one leg. The two legs repeat the above movements alternately, forming our normal walking gait.

Common walking mistakes

1. Walking on tiptoes (walking on the balls of the feet)

When walking on tiptoe, the forefoot has to support the pressure of the entire body, which can easily cause chronic injuries to the ankle and toe joints. In addition, this posture will also increase the pressure on the knee joint, causing damage to the knee bones and soft tissues.

Another point is that when walking on tiptoes, the calf muscles exert more force and are involved for a longer time, which can easily lead to thicker calves.

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2. Dragging

When walking, the sole of the foot is completely on the ground and "dragging", with no transition process from the heel to the forefoot, giving people a very sloppy feeling.

At the same time, since this posture cannot bring into play the cushioning function of the foot, it will cause chronic damage to the knee joints, ankle joints, and surrounding ligaments and muscles over a long period of time.

3. Inner and outer eight characters

If you deliberately walk with your feet turned inward or outward, it will change the correct muscle force. In the long run, there is a risk of causing inward or outward valgus of the knee joint (also known as bow legs or X-shaped legs), which is not only unsightly, but also increases the incidence of arthritis.

4. Incorrect upper body posture

Bad habits such as hunching over, leaning left or right, putting hands in pockets while walking will affect the normal gait cycle, thereby affecting the health of the joints and muscles of the lower limbs. These bad postures and movements should be prohibited.

Things you should pay attention to when walking

1. Keep your steps steady and even

When you land, you should first touch the ground with your heel, then move to the sole of the foot, and finally to the toes. There should be a rolling process.

2. Correct posture

When standing, keep your body upright, shoulders naturally relaxed, abdomen tightened, knees slightly bent, and walk at a normal pace without bending over or shaking your body.

3. Master your pace

When walking, you should properly control your pace and distance, and avoid being overly tired or in a hurry.

4. Choose the right shoes

In order to avoid wear and tear on the soles and prevent foot injuries, you need to choose the right type of shoes, pay attention to the anti-slip and cushioning properties of the soles, and do not wear old shoes.

The wear of the sole can be judged

Is your walking posture correct?

According to the characteristics of correct walking posture, under normal circumstances, wear and tear will occur on the posterior and lateral sides of the heel and the areas corresponding to the five toes of the sole of the foot.

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But if the following parts are severely worn, you need to pay attention!

If the forefoot is severely worn, you may be walking on tiptoes;

If the outer side of the sole is severely worn, it may be caused by walking with your feet turned outward or by a disease called high arches.

If there is excessive wear on the inside or middle of the sole, it may be caused by a loss of the arch of the foot, such as flat feet.

If the above situation occurs, you should force yourself to walk in a normal walking posture. If you cannot correct it, it is recommended to go to a hospital specialist to check whether there are congenital deformities in the pelvis, hip and knee joints, ankle joints or feet, so as to detect and treat them early.

So, check the soles of your shoes now to see if you are walking on the right path?

Author: Ji Gang, deputy chief physician of orthopedics, First Hospital of Hebei Medical University

Review丨Zhang Qinghua, Chief Physician of Orthopedics, Shougang Hospital