What is the correct walking posture?

Having a correct body posture, both in static and in movement, is very important for our health. It helps us to avoid pain and improves our breathing. 

Posture is conditioned by different factors such as: stress, sedentary lifestyle, diet, or the physical exercise. All of this has an impact on discomfort or pain.

There are also external factors such as environmental factors that we cannot influence, but there are behaviours or habits that have a negative influence on our body that lead to bad posture and have a negative impact on our quality of life that we can act upon by becoming aware of them.

How does posture affect walking?

Poor posture can affect health in the following ways:

• Misalignment of the musculoskeletal system.
• It causes “wear and tear” on the joints in general. Since not moving the muscles in a balanced way generates pressure between them and this can lead to pain or injury.
• It decreases flexibility.
• It affects balance, increasing the risk of falling.
• Makes breathing difficult.

Main errors in our walking posture

There are many mistakes we make when we walk and it is important to correct them:

• Looking at the ground or using mobile phones while walking, This is a common mistake that can lead to neck pain. We should correct it by looking straight ahead to achieve a better alignment of the neck and avoid possible discomfort or pain.
• Walking with a stooped gait with the shoulders forward. If we do not stand in an upright position when walking, it will lead to pain in the dorsal area. The arms should fall relaxed along the body so that they perform the swinging movement when we walk.
• Not activating the abdominal muscles. We must activate it trying not only to move it towards the spine, but also to help us to raise the waist, this helps to keep the back more upright and protected. 
• Bring the weight of the body to the heels instead of the toes. The weight should always be directed forward, helping us to contract the abdomen and hips, this helps us to unload and stretch the back.
• We do not pay attention to the alignment when launching the step, which is important to avoid overloading the joints; activation of the hip musculature helps us to hold the leg better when starting to walk and helps the hip-knee-ankle alignment to be better.
• Wear comfortable shoes. High heels affect balance by changing the way you walk as they increase pressure on certain muscles and directly affect posture.

How to adopt the correct walking posture?

Adopting correct posture when walking is essential for general health and well-being. Good posture not only improves our appearance, but also reduces the risk of injury and pain, especially in the back, neck and shoulders. The key to good walking posture lies in developing strong body awareness, which is the ability to be aware of the alignment and movement of our body in space.

In order to improve our posture it is very important to have a good body awareness and to keep it in mind at all times. Physical exercise, among many other factors, is undoubtedly an essential part of our daily routine.

In short, adopting the correct posture when walking requires practice and mindfulness. By integrating methods such as Pilates and yoga into our daily routine, we can strengthen the necessary musculature and develop the flexibility and body awareness needed to adopt correct posture naturally.