Proper walking can improve balance with:
proper posture (PILATES POSTURE)
Proper stride length
Proper shoes
Walking speed based on heart rate
Steps to Good Walking Posture
How you hold your body is an important factor in being able to walk comfortably and easily. With good posture, you will be able to breathe easier and you will avoid back pain. Proper walking posture will also make it easier to walk farther and to walk faster while maintaining proper core muscle stabilization.
If you’ve had problems enjoying walking because you feel aches and pains afterward, the first thing to check is your posture and how you carry your head and shoulders.
- Stand up straight. Visualize being tall and straight, like a tree. Do not arch your back.Lengthen the spine towards the ceiling Keep your head on your shoulders, not the chest. Maintain Pilates Posture.
- Do not lean forward or lean back. Leaning puts a strain on the back muscles as you walk, and you should avoid leaning except when on a hill. Unfortunately, some coaches have taught leaning for speedwalking, but it is not necessary, and often people lean too far forward or back.
- Eyes forward: Keep your eyes forward, not looking down. Instead, your focus should be about 20 feet ahead of you. This way you will be able to see your path and anything coming at you from the sides.
- Chin up (parallel to the ground): Keeping your chin up reduces strain on your neck and back. If you walk with your chin down you are not doing your neck any favors. This will also allow you to look ahead 20 feet rather than down at your feet. Walking with the head down is a common walking mistake.
- Shoulders back and relaxed: Shrug once and let your shoulders fall and relax, with your shoulders slightly back. Loosening up the shoulders in this way will help relieve tension and put them into a position to use good arm motion while walking.