Raise the heel and push off with your big toe. As the heel of your front foot is striking, you are being propelled forward by your back foot, pushing off the ground. Unlike a running stride, your feet should never lift off the ground completely when walking.
Somewhere you might have read to lean forward when walking. Or you may be leaning back on your hips. Leaning forward or backward or holding your back swayed can all result in back pain and do not contribute to speed or good technique. Stand up straight but with relaxed shoulders, chin up and parallel to the ground.
Stride forward: Aim to keep a neutral pelvis and avoid tucking your tailbone while walking. Also keep the knees and toes pointed forward and the front leg straight but not locked for a smooth stride forward. Making sure that you are naturally propelling forward will help prevent injury.
Knees. The knee bends as the leg pulls through to strike the ground. Don't clench your knees by tightening the thigh muscles or lifting the knees too high.
8 Walking Safety Tips
Walk on sidewalks whenever they are available. If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic and as far from traffic as possible. Cross streets at crosswalks or intersections. Look for cars in all directions, including those turning left or right.
There are two major walking rules-
One foot must be in contact with the ground all the times and. the supporting leg must be straight, not bent at the knee, from the moment the foot touches the ground until the supporting leg passes below the body.
“We must make sure that we strike the ground with our heel first; this aids in absorbing the shock impact through our other joints, mainly the knee,” Dr. Gleiber explains. “When we strike the ground with our knees in a slight degree of flexion, a healthy meniscus can properly absorb this shock.
When standing and walking, our feet should be pointing straight ahead. They shouldn't be pointing outwards (externally rotated), or inwards (internally rotation). They should also have a nice arch on the inside of the foot and not be rolled inwards (pronated) or rolled outwards (supinated).
When walking, your heel should touch down first on the ground. As your heel lands, you should roll through your foot towards the ball of your feet. Your toes splay outward in preparation for the next step as your heel lifts off the ground.
"You consume more energy when you walk on the balls of your feet or your toes than when you walk heels-first," Carrier says. Compared with heels-first walkers, those stepping first on the balls of their feet used 53 percent more energy, and those stepping toes-first expended 83 percent more energy.
To prevent injuries to your lower body, use a midfoot strike, and avoid hitting the ground with your heel. This allows your foot to land directly under your hip as you drive your body forward. A heel strike may cause your leg to slow down your stride and stress your knees.
While walking, keep the body erect, head up, eyes looking straight ahead, and shoulders down, buttocks tucked in and arms at the waist level. Try not to swing the hips from side to side as you walk.
Pedestrians must always walk against traffic. Walk as close to the left side of the road possible using the shoulder or sidewalk, if available. When attempting to cross, always look left, right, and left again.
General walking tips
Warm-up activity – start slowly, do a few warm-up exercises and stretches first. Don't walk immediately after a big meal. Build activity slowly – start with a 20 minute walk then increase gradually. Try to walk at least three times per week.
If you need to walk along a road and there is no footpath or nature strip, or if there is but you can't then, you may need to walk on the road. If so, you must walk on the other side of the road facing oncoming traffic.
Bending the front knee provides extra shock absorption for the knee joint. By contrast, if you are in the habit of landing on a straight leg (a result of inappropriately using your quads to lengthen your stride) the knee cartilage will be subjected to a much greater force as your foot hits the ground.
Spread your feet apart to give your body a wide base of support. Stand as close as possible to the object you are lifting. Bend at your knees, not at your waist or back.
The proper lifting technique is when your stability comes from your legs and core, not your back. Take care to position yourself properly before you lift. Spread your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees, and drop your hips back.