How to Walk—things you don’t think about

Unless you are under the age of 2, you probably already know how to walk. And if you are under 2, I am impressed with your level of reading comprehension! For the rest of the reading audience, however, walking is something that comes naturally and you never bother thinking about it. Until, that is, you spend a prolonged period not using one or both of your legs. When your muscles spend weeks or months on vacation, they become weak, and this in turn affects your gait cycle, the way your legs move when you walk.

For simplicity, we'll divide the muscles into 4 groups: hamstrings (back of the thigh), quads (front of the thigh), calf muscles, and shin muscles. Here's how they participate as your foot comes down (stance phase) and then up again (swing phase).

1. Heel strike. You touch down on the ground with your heel, and your shin muscles gradually lower the rest of your foot to the ground. If they have been weakened, your foot will just slap the ground.
   
2. Flat foot, also known as Forefoot loading. Your quads and calf muscles transfer weight over the arch of your foot while retaining stability.
   
3. Heel off. Your calf muscles carry your body mass and put you on your toes. If they are not at full strength, this will be difficult.
   
4. Toe off. You continue to transfer weight onto your other foot, as your quads stabilize your leg.
   
5. Swing Phase. Your quads and hamstrings steadily propel your foot forward and the cycle continues.
   

Of course, I haven't done justice to the roles of your hips and foot muscles in keeping your legs steady (especially during Toe off). However, these are the most noticeable actions, and if you are recovering from surgery or an injury, these are the muscles you will want to exercise in physical therapy. If you experience weakness during any of these steps, and you have not had an injury, that could be a sign of nerve damage, and you should consult with Dr. Reddy or a podiatrist in your area.

Photo credit: Queen's University