There are several reasons to enjoy a good walk. It’s widely available, reasonably priced, low-impact, and offers a host of health advantages, such as stress relief and increased bone density. Walking has benefits beyond what first meets the eye, even with all the obvious ones.
In my opinion, walking is among the best physical activities for improving physical and mental well-being at any age. It makes sense that the need to walk begins even before birth.
The womb is where the basis for healthy walking is founded
The Automatic Gait Reflex and other early developmental blueprints are responsible for the capacity to walk painlessly and pleasantly. This early reaction, also known as a primal reflex, establishes the basis for automaticity in movements such as walking.
Many primitive reflexes come online during pregnancy and should ideally fade away throughout the first few years of life after providing the foundation for more complex motor patterns. One excellent illustration of this is the gait reflex.
It first appears at about 12 weeks of pregnancy and functions during the first few months of life to support the baby’s nervous system. This reflex becomes less prominent and makes room for the formation of a mature gait if development proceeds according to plan (1).
However, it can return to the forefront during times of illness, falls, stress, injuries, and more, just like any other early reflex (2). These occurrences call into question the ease of walking that comes naturally to so many of us.
How to make your next walk even more beneficial
These are a few of my personal favorite activities to make walking more second nature and get even more out of your walking practice. Apply one or two at first, then add more as you get more at ease. Your daily walks should start to become even more stress-relieving over time.
1. Stretch your feet. Take a seat on the ground or a bed and extend your legs in front of you. In a rhythmic manner, point and flex your feet in opposition to each other. The neural system is reminded of the reciprocal nature required for walking by this. Although it’s best to do this right before you walk, you may still reap the benefits of doing it at any time of day.
2. Perform a framing sequence by positioning yourself inside a door frame and using a quarter or less of your maximum strength to gently press your opposing hand and foot against the frame. Consider doing this to warm up your nervous system in preparation for your walk. Additionally, it will support the engagement of all body planes during walking.
3. Try the Cross-Crawl exercise. The Cross-Crawl workout can be compared to heightened marching. To execute the move, bend your knee and bring it over your body’s midline, touching your arm across from it. The cross-lateral action will assist engage the brain, therefore it’s a wonderful idea to perform this when stationary or on a walk.
This movement creates a bridge between the right and left hemispheres of the brain, allowing electrical impulses and information to flow easily between the two, which is necessary for muscular coordination.
4. Take a stroll in a natural environment: If the weather permits, go for a stroll outside to further activate your parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system. Walking outside is always preferable to walking on a treadmill for me. I believe using a treadmill weakens the mind-body connection because it requires your body to maintain a set pace.
5. Pay attention to how your arms swing: Don’t force an arm swing rhythm once you’re walking! Rather, keep your arms free to position yourself for an organic arm swing. Yes, this includes keeping your phone in your pocket. Gazing downward at digital devices inhibits your trunk extension response and encourages bad posture, both of which have an impact on your gait.
Related Post: Sitting All Day? How Short Walks Can Transform Your Workday
Bonus: Add walking sticks, soft hand weights, or poles if you want to be more upright. The act of simply holding anything in our hands feeds our natural trunk extension reflex. Furthermore, it facilitates the Robinson Hand grip reflex, which promotes a relaxed upper trunk, shoulders, and neck (3).
To Wrap Things Up
Walking programs can become more comprehensive by recognizing the fundamental significance of early reflexes and using basic movements to support them. Adopting this synergistic strategy improves walking and cultivates a stronger mind-body connection, which in turn leads to improved general health and wellbeing.
Sources |
- Frontiers | Automaticity of walking: functional significance, mechanisms, measurement and rehabilitation strategies (frontiersin.org)
- Primitive Reflex Factors Influence Walking Gait in Young Children: An Observational Study – PubMed (nih.gov)
- The Grasp Reflex and Moro Reflex in Infants: Hierarchy of Primitive Reflex Responses (hindawi.com)
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