Walking Debate

[Merrida]

I think I told you guys that I have one client who used to be a NYC Prima Ballerina. Skip ahead, skip ahead, skip ahead, and here we are decades later but she continues to dance. Here's where the controversy comes in.

Regardless of age, when exercising (especially) and when walking, I firmly believe the bulk of the weight should be placed on the heel, walking heel to toe.

She told me yesterday that her instructor had brought to her attention that "the reason so many people have structural problems" when they grow older, primarily postural but also knee and hip, is that they walk with their weight towards the back. They should actually be walking with the weight on the balls of their foot (like a cat), and wear a one-and-a-half inch heel on their shoes, no flats or barefoot.

Can we discuss this?

While I agree it's a beautiful, elegant walk, (on the pad of the ball), it is not natural and displaces weight unnaturally over the knee. I'm not recommending slouching, but weight bearing and shoes, general walking when not in a dance class and not weight training, what do you think?

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[westside24]

I thought that too.... what the girls instructor said... I thought thats why they made like foot pads or whatever to put in shoes, for better posture, and thats whhy ninkas and people who fight learn to stay on the balls of the feet. ?? I am prolly wrong, you are allowed to tell me that I am... haha I wanna know the truth

[Merrida]

Originally Posted by westside24

I thought that too.... what the girls instructor said... I thought thats why they made like foot pads or whatever to put in shoes, for better posture, and thats whhy ninkas and people who fight learn to stay on the balls of the feet. ?? I am prolly wrong, you are allowed to tell me that I am... haha I wanna know the truth

For one thing it depends on what type of martial art you're doing.

Personally I imagine if my weight is shifted forward it's easier to knock me down. If I'm grounded through my whole foot, you can't budge me.

And, if walking upright on the balls of the feet were so healthy, why do all these lovely young ladies in their high heels (to create what I admit are very sexy, attractive to look at legs), end up with knee and low back pain?

If walking and weight bearing on the ball of the foot was so proper and correct, why don't they make running/walking/crosstraining shoes with heels.

The coolest shoes I've seen are the ones with NO heels that force you to walk on your toes but that's exclusively to develop your calves. So that's not a fair comparison.

So I return to the: Walking on the balls of your feet --> if it's so good and right and corrective, why does it result in so many problems down the road?

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[westside24]

[quote=Merrida;402891]

Personally I imagine if my weight is shifted forward it's easier to knock me down. If I'm grounded through my whole foot, you can't budge me.

which Is why I feel flat footed is best way to go... but it depends on situation... if your striking or grappling, then you are on your balls(feet) and if you are bouncing around alot, then most people (in street fights) you always see on there toes, not me!

And, if walking upright on the balls of the feet were so healthy, why do all these lovely young ladies in their high heels (to create what I admit are very sexy, attractive to look at legs), end up with knee and low back pain?

They Do?

If walking and weight bearing on the ball of the foot was so proper and correct, why don't they make running/walking/crosstraining shoes with heels.

Nike Shox?

The coolest shoes I've seen are the ones with NO heels that force you to walk on your toes but that's exclusively to develop your calves. So that's not a fair comparison.

My buddy at work has big ass calves, his g/f claims it because hes always walked on his toes, and he does, he looks like a dinosaur, its not blantant its something you really have to look at.

[Merrida]

Originally Posted by westside24

My buddy at work has big ass calves, his g/f claims it because hes always walked on his toes, and he does, he looks like a dinosaur, its not blantant its something you really have to look at.

Well I can't give credit to my massive calves coming from walking on my toes. Having large calves also meant that when I tried wearing heels or knee high boots, they would not fit properly. That limited my choices.

I do think wearing heels can contribute to calf development IF you walk on them properly (which many women do not know how to do,...they slide forward into them, not walk "on" them).

Anyway,.....how did this conversation start?

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[Klide]

When I first started to run I would do it from the balls of my feet (I thought that was proper form). I soon developed shin splints and my doctor told me it was probably due to the way I was running. He suggested (after giving my legs time to heal) running heel toe. For me that did the trick and that is the way I have been running ever since.

Walk fast in a forward-motion, elliptical trainer-like fashion and let the heels and balls of the feet fall where they may.

[westside24]

Originally Posted by Klide

When I first started to run I would do it from the balls of my feet (I thought that was proper form). I soon developed shin splints and my doctor told me it was probably due to the way I was running. He suggested (after giving my legs time to heal) running heel toe. For me that did the trick and that is the way I have been running ever since.

which further proves merrida's point.

[pseudonym]

Having been doing a bit of looking into the POSE method of running recently I am interested by different ideas about this issue.

I've read a few thoughts on walking with a more ball-focused stride (not necessarily on the balls but also certainly not heel-toe) and one of the more compelling concepts FOR it is the barefoot argument.

Humans evolved/were created/were dropped from the mothership with bare feet, shoes are a relatively new concept, particualrly shoes with heels and 'super cushion air-gel-matic' soles; ergo, to get an idea of how we are best suited to moving we should do so in bare feet (the argument being shoes distort our natural gaite).

When I move in bare feet (and especially when I run ... though that is not really on point here) pronounced heel-toe strides hurt and create far more of a jarring sensation throughout my body than walking flat footed or with a ball of the foot step.

Does this mean heel-toe is not an ideal method of walking? ... I don't know about that, but it's certainly not my choice of stride when I'm bare footed .

[westside24]

Originally Posted by pseudonym

Having been doing a bit of looking into the POSE method of running recently I am interested by different ideas about this issue.

I've read a few thoughts on walking with a more ball-focused stride (not necessarily on the balls but also certainly not heel-toe) and one of the more compelling concepts FOR it is the barefoot argument.

Humans evolved/were created/were dropped from the mothership with bare feet, shoes are a relatively new concept, particualrly shoes with heels and 'super cushion air-gel-matic' soles; ergo, to get an idea of how we are best suited to moving we should do so in bare feet (the argument being shoes distort our natural gaite).

When I move in bare feet (and especially when I run ... though that is not really on point here) pronounced heel-toe strides hurt and create far more of a jarring sensation throughout my body than walking flat footed or with a ball of the foot step.

Does this mean heel-toe is not an ideal method of walking? ... I don't know about that, but it's certainly not my choice of stride when I'm bare footed .

I can only imagine running barefooted at the metropark nearby, with its broken bottles on trails and sharp jaggedy rocks, and dog crap on the trails... it would be the perfect video to post up on break.com to win money!

[Merrida]

I could not imagine walking any other way than heel to toe. It may look elegant to walk like a cat, on the pads of the feet, but in terms of functionability it can't possibly be safe or ideal. Meh.

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