Hello !!
I've been thinking about walking lately. Teaching lessons in January about hips and knees probably triggered it. Along with an inviting sunny day now and then.
Walking is more than just a lower body enterprise. Check out the article and movement exploration to make walking easier.
Marg
Shoulders in Walking?
Students in my classes or other mindful movement classes may have experienced the difference in walking while holding their shoulders and arms very still compared with allowing the shoulders and arms to move. Walking is easier, smoother and looks more graceful when the shoulders move.
Research using robotic walking machines supports that experiential sense. In fact, the researchers found that “keeping the arms steady increased the effort of walking by 12%, the equivalent of walking 20% faster or carrying a 10 kg backpack". (added emphasis) They also found that arm swinging required little muscle effort; arm and shoulder movements seem to be a passive result of the mechanics of walking. Read more
And yet, many people don’t have much upper body movement when walking! Certainly, neurological difficulties (Parkinson’s comes to mind) may limit some people. But what about the rest of the “sleepy shoulders” group? I suspect the habit of non-movement -- encouraged by a lot of sitting, a forward rounded posture, shallow breathing -- has taken over a more dynamic activity, namely walking. Inability to sense what they are not doing keeps the habit of too-quiet shoulders in place. In addition, when balance feels precarious, they hold their upper bodies even more still—which just adds to the problem. In what feels counter-intuitive, moving the shoulders actually helps our balance!
In February and March, Awareness Through Movement ® classes will focus on freeing the shoulders and neck. New students are always welcome.