 Walking
tips for Trekkers
Have you ever been taught to walk? Oh yes,
you might reply---but have you? Really. Perhaps you were taught
how to sit or stand after your first few baby steps. How you
step, how you walk is all left to you. But Walk? Perhaps only
models in our society are taught how to walk-but that type walking
won't work on the road. Ha!
Go out and walk normally through soft dirt,
sand or anywhere that leaves your footsteps. Go back and photo
them, study them.
Often they look like this: 
They should look like this: 
 Type
A
1. Your heels come down wrong - notice how your shoe wears away
on one side of the heel.
2. As your weight comes down and you push off, all your bones
and ligaments are stressed because they are not properly in
line.
3. If your feet are spread apart you use only part of your foot
on the forward thrust as you step forward.
4. Your shoe twists and causes extra sole wear.
5. The mis-stepping leaves you a bit off balance.
6. All this causes you to burn extra energy which makes you
tired.
Type B
With type B your entire bone, muscle and ligament structures
are all in line. There is no twisting or tension at each stress
point. Your body flows. When you step down on your heel it strides
evenly, not on one side. As your weight and step moves forward
the front of your foot now smoothly takes the weight and gives
you a thrust forward. You push off with the ball of your foot,
toes, and ankle as your leg now produces power. This is all
one smooth, natural movement. It takes less energy, gives more
power and causes less stress on the body system.
So remember, relax, walk relaxed, relax your shoulders, chest,
arms, and then walk with your body straight up - not slumped
over. Keep your feet straight and step forward completely coming
off the front of your foot, now take in the beauty of your journey.
How to walk on different terrains:
A. Smooth track, sidewalks, paved roads - walk
in full stride with feet pointed straight ahead stepping onto
your heel, then on to the ball of the foot and pushing off through
the toes. It should be no problem.
B. Grass, vines, tree limbs, rock - must change
stride so that instead of lifting the back foot just above the
ground, you must at the end of your step lift the back foot
up several inches, move it forward still up then place it down
not dragging the foot. This prevents the foot being caught in
a vine, etc... and causing you to trip and stumble or fall.
Remember up, forward then down - don't drag.
 C.
Ice, wet trail, wet grass, small gravel on the ground or pavement
going down hill. Step forward more with your leg than your front
foot. Do not push off with the front of your foot as you normally
would because this would cause the shoe to slip. You need all
the traction you can get, so step with the entire foot on the
surface. Also when you step down, put the entire foot down at
once, this again gives full foot traction. Not just the heel.
In this way of walking you must shorten your stride to get full
traction on each step. It also is very important so that if
the gravel on the steep decline begins to slip your other foot
is there quickly to keep you up because your stride is short.
D. When walking anywhere not familiar to you
- you must keep watching where you step - all the time. Should
someone be walking with you, talk but do not look. A rock sticks
up and you step on one side of it and sprain your ankle. The
ground surface
may be loose and you slide, there is a hole in an unexpected
place, a stick across the path and you trip. There is a bottle
you step on or a can, or a wet spot. The sidewalk may be chipped
out or a manhole with the top off.
Remember on unknown surfaces to watch your
step. Then stop and observe the beauty. Then walk on watching
your step not the view around. Accidents happen at the most
unexpected moments.
Walk at a good steady pace. Learn endurance!
On long walks consistency is more important than speed. Some
people go so fast that they burn out soon. Set a pace you can
keep up hour after hour, day after day. Remember, even walking
around the world is simply taking one step at a time. |
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