Videos and Posts for Walking Code Members

Tai Chi and Walking

 Book Excerpt 

by Todd Martin MD

Tai Chi is an ancient martial art developed in China that has been popularized around the world as a means to achieve better health and body balance. It is now used more for its health benefits than it is used as a martial art. Studies have shown that Tai Chi is the most effective form of exercise to reduce falls in the elderly. It is not uncommon to see Tai Chi practitioners of very advanced age performing fluid movement as if they were much younger. I believe that much of the benefit of Tai Chi comes from teaching practitioners how to properly direct all of their body movements from their core, and in so doing correctly control their weight shifting, maintain vertical posture, and control weight distribution over the correct portions of the feet. This training crosses over naturally from Tai Chi to the movements used in every day life, like walking.

I fell into Tai Chi practice by a very fortuitous accident. My intention was to take up Kung Fu as a means to get more cardiovascular exercise. In a great feet of innate martial arts prowess, I managed to sprain my hand during the introductory lesson. Not wanting to give up my plans on martial arts greatness so quickly, I signed up instead for Tai Chi figuring it would be hard to injure myself in slow motion. I very quickly came to realize that the movement I was attempting to perfect in my tango practice was governed by the same principles of movement I was learning in Tai Chi. The connection from there to normal walking mechanics came very quickly. I set out at that time to consolidate the techniques into one consistent body movement system. The combination of my dance training and Tai Chi training along with my enthusiasm for improving the health of my patients ultimately has lead to the development of the Quantum Movement System. The Walking Code is the branch of the Quantum Movement System that is the subject of this book.

One of the essential principles of Tai Chi is that all movement is governed by the waist. The arms and hands never move of their own accord, nor do the legs. The whole body moves as one unit with the waist at the center, guiding everything. Connection between all movements at all times is the key. When the waist stops moving, the rest of the body should stop moving, and when the waist starts moving, the rest of the body should start moving. This principle can be seen in the swinging of the arms with walking, guided by the repeating oscillations of the abdominal core muscles. The arms should not move on their own when walking, nor should walking exist without the motion of the arms because it is all part of one connected movement. When movements are incorrect, the fault likely resides in the core.

Relaxing the Waist and Hips

One of the 13 Essential Principles of Tai Chi theory is that the waist and the hips should remain relaxed at all times. This is necessary because the movements of the waist and hips, which comprise the core, are the means by which we steer the body. A tense waist would be akin to losing the power steering on your car. This idea runs contrary to what is often espoused by physical fitness trainers of various types who constantly implore people to tighten their abdominal muscles when exercising or even just in the process of maintaining proper posture. This may stem from the idea that the tighter and more often you contract your abdominal muscles, the faster you will get those rock hard abs that everyone wants. But that is not the path to achieving fluid movement, which requires relaxation. Although to be clear, relaxation in this context does not mean the muscles are not being used. It only means that they are being used to move the body, not to create nonproductive tension.

 
Intention

 
In Tai Chi, movement is accomplished using intention, not tension. Intention is the mind's direction of body movement without the use of force or tension. The mind "intends" to move the body and the body moves. Take for example the flexion of the arm, a very simple action. If you decide to flex your arm, your mind sends a signal to the biceps muscle which then shortens in order to flex the elbow joint. Assuming you are not holding a weight in your hand, this does not require a significant amount of force, only enough to overcome the minimal resistance of gravity. This is different than "flexing" your biceps as when trying to make a muscle to show off its size. When you make a muscle with your biceps, what you are actually doing is both contracting your biceps and the opposing triceps against one another. This increases tension in both muscles, causing them to bulge but not to move. This is nonfunctional contraction of the muscle, unless the function is trying to impress someone with the size of your bulging muscles. Tai Chi teaches the need to avoid this type of wasted tension at all times, rather focusing on the relaxed and functional movement of the muscles with the minimal amount of opposition and tension.

Both Tai Chi and walking require a more complex intention than that required to flex the arm. That is because there are many more muscles involved. However, intention has limits. Our minds cannot actively and independently coordinate all of the various muscles required to perform such complex tasks as Tai Chi or even seemingly basic tasks such as walking. That is why we are designed to be controlled by the core. The mind has conscious control of the core, and our postural reflexes help to coordinate the remaining muscle actions at such a speed that they occur seemingly simultaneously with the core movements. This can occur only when the mind is clear in its intention and when the body is relaxed and receptive. Tai Chi practitioners would refer to this as allowing the Chi to circulate through the body. Imagine, when you walk, you do not think of each muscle in your foot and ankle and what role they are to play in taking each step. That would be impossible. The focus, conscious or unconscious, is on the core.

Controlling the Core

The practice of Tai Chi involves repetitious and slow motion execution of the various movements in the Tai Chi forms. Over time, this allows the mind to develop the proper intention to control the core and reflexively the other more peripheral movements in the body required to perform the form properly. The correct practice of Tai Chi must be guided by a qualified instructor. That is because students without the needed expertise cannot recognize the flaws in their own form practice without the instructor's guidance. With the proper guidance, students are eventually able to internalize the correct way of practicing. Practicing Tai Chi incorrectly is no better than not practicing it at all. Walking requires the same principles used in the practice of Tai Chi, however there are generally no instructors and no instructional manual. People are consigned to the results of their own innate abilities, flawed as they may be.

The practice of Tai Chi for health is an indirect means of teaching the mind to control the core which can then improve every day function of the body. Unfortunately, for his to be successful, it takes years of continuous practice and really must be adopted as a lifestyle, not unlike people who are regular dancers or yoga practitioners. This is not the desire of the majority of the people who could benefit from improving their core movement technique. The method I am outlining here is a more direct means of achieving the benefits of years of Tai Chi practice, applying the theory directly to the movements that we are called upon to perform day in and day out.

Why Do the Arms Swing When You Walk

Ask yourself this "simple" question. Why do your arms swing when you walk? Even though it is a basic part of every day movement, it is a question most people probably never ask themselves. With a normal gait, the arms swing in opposition to the legs. The left arm swings forward with the right leg and the right arm swings forward with the left leg. The movement is automatic, not requiring any conscious effort, so the question is, why are they swinging?

If you have never asked yourself why your arms swing, don't feel bad. You are in good company. The textbook, Gait Analysis, Normal and Pathologic Function, the gold standard for the medical understanding of walking dedicates approximately 4 out of over 500 pages to describing the mechanics of arm motion in walking. Most of the research into this subject seeks to answer the question, is arm swinging necessary? That is a different question than that of why the arms are swinging.

The chapter on arm swing in the book begins with the following paragraph, which I will quote. It reflects a lot about the nature of the study of walking. "Reciprocal arm swing spontaneously occurs during walking. Eltman calculated the angular momentum of arm swing in the 3 functional planes and found the pattern was opposite to that of the rest of the body. He concluded that this allowed the lower legs to perform their necessary motion without imparting marked rotation of the body. The significance of this calculation was challenged by the results of energy cost analysis. Subjects walking with their arms free to swing and with them bound were tested and showed no difference in oxygen usage. These 2 findings suggest arm swing may be useful but that it is not an essential component of walking." Exerpt from Gait Analysis, Normal and Pathological Function. Jacquelin Perry, Judith Burnfield.

The preceding excerpt from the reference manual on walking technique demonstrates the approach to walking analysis taken by medical researchers. Very complex observational studies are used to come up with a conclusion that arm swing is not an essential component of walking. This appears to miss the obvious point that, if arm swinging is not necessary, why does everyone do it, and more importantly, why is it apparently automatic? Additional observations they made in the book were that EMG studies didn't indicate any significant active muscle contraction during flexion of the shoulder, or forward arm swing. This indicates that it is not something we do intentionally. So what is controlling it? The problem with the accepted analysis of walking technique is that it is presumed to be an activity of the legs, and the torso is just going along for the ride. But what we learn from Tai Chi, and what any dancer knows, is the torso is not along for the ride. In fact, it is the most important component of guiding walking, dancing, Tai Chi, or any other movement requiring locomotion or weight shifting.

A simple self analysis when walking will reveal a very clear fact, that the swinging of the arms has nothing to do with the arms or the shoulders. The arms and shoulders can remain completely relaxed when walking, yet the arms will swing in perfect rhythm with the step. If you run, the arms will naturally bend at the elbows as they swing forward and back. Just as with the arm swing when walking, the arm swing in running is automatic. You would have to make a conscious effort to prevent them from swinging. Clearly some unrelated force outside of the arms and shoulders is generating energy and the inertia required to swing the arms. So the relevant question is not whether arm swinging is necessary, it is whether the force that provides the inertia to the arms that makes them swing is necessary? And the answer to that question is a resounding, yes.

The arms swing because the waist is constantly rotating when we walk or run, and the inertia of the rotation of the waist drives the movement of the arms. The arm swing is not an optional part of walking because the waist rotation is not an optional part of walking. The waist in this context refers to the abdominal core muscles that flex and rotate the spine. Without the constant rotation of the torso generated by these muscles, there would be no arm swing, and there would be no walking.

When analyzing walking technique by observational means, it is easy for the waist rotation to go unnoticed because it is often not visible to the eye. The lack of visibility is not because the amount of rotation is insignificant, it is because the rotation of the upper abdomen and the rotation of the lower abdomen turn in opposite directions when we walk forward. The opposing rotations give the net appearance that the torso is simply facing straight forward when in fact it is engaged in constant torsion, first on one side then the other with each successive step. This torsional movement of the waist is what imparts the inertia to the arms that causes them to swing back and forth. Additionally, the torsional rotation must always follow the same pattern in order to produce the same direction of walking, which is why the left arm swings forward with the right leg and the right arm swings forward with the left leg when we walk forward in a straight line.

When walking, it is not required to swing your arms, rather your arms swing because you are walking. If someone is not swinging their arms properly when walking, it is not helpful to tell them to swing their arms because the fault is not in the arms, it is in the body. Actively trying to swing the arms does not engage the same muscles required of the natural arm swing associated with walking. Correcting the arm swing requires learning how to properly rotate the torso. It is insufficient or improper torso rotation that is the major contributor to reduced arm swing. It is also a cause of short shuffling gaits which are common as people age. When the arms do not swing correctly, it is a sign of incorrect walking technique. This can be an early warning sign for the development of a number of painful health conditions. 

Form Follows Function

"Whether it be the sweeping eagle in his flight, or the open apple-blossom, the toiling work-horse, the blithe swan, the branching oak, the winding stream at its base, the drifting clouds, over all the coursing sun, form ever follows function, and this is the law. Where function does not change, form does not change."

Louis Sullivan

The above quote was written by the famous architect, Louis Sullivan, a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright. It is the origin of the well known adage, "form follows function." Sullivan was discussing the concept in the context of the architecture of buildings, but as his quote suggests, it is the law of all things, including human form and function. The human form is one of truly elegant design, and this design follows from its function. One of the most important and unique functions of the human body is to stand and walk upright. We are the only animals that can sustain upright posture. This has in turn allowed humans the use of our hands, giving us advantages over all other animals. Maintaining upright posture requires not only a remarkable physical design but also a powerful nervous system that manages to perfectly coordinate each movement.

 
Our bodies are meant to function in a particular fashion, and it is this fashion around which all of our joints are desiged. Maintaining proper alignment of the joints requires functioning according to the body's design. Altering the way we function throws our alignment out of balance, leading to a slow erosion of the joints and connective tissues. People flock to chiropractors on a regular basis to have their bodies realigned. This should make people wonder, why is it that many of us seem to require so much external realignment? It would imply that the human body was not designed very well, and that is not the case. The problem is not with the design of the body, it is with how so many people use it incorrectly.

 
One of the most common reasons for visits to the chiropractor is lower back pain. People go in to the chiropractor expecting to get the spine realigned. But even if this were possible, it would at best be a band-aide. Whatever the reason for the misalignment, it cannot be solved by the chiropractor. It must be solved by the person with the misalignment. And that requires correcting function. The following 3 figures will illustrate how changing the way we walk can completely change the alignment of the spine and trigger back pain.

In the first figure (Figure 6), we see an image of a person walking. The figure on the left marks the initiating point of a normal step, which occurs at the moment of heel contact, before the forefoot is lowered. The right leg is forward and the left is back in this image. This is followed by the lowering of the forefoot in the figure on the right. With correct walking technique, the weight is changed to the right leg during the lowering of the right forefoot. The rooting of the left leg is released as the rooting on the right leg takes hold. The correct weight changing process maintains the pelvis in neutral, or vertical position. You will notice from the picture that the spine remains upright as well as the pelvis as the weight shifts forward to the right leg. The right arm will begin to swing forward as the weight is changed to the right leg

Figure 6. This figure shows the transition from the initial contact phase of a step to the completion of the change of weight. Initial contact is made with the right heel. In correct walking technique, this marks the end of one step and the beginning of the next. When the core is used correctly, the pelvis is tucks under on the right as the weight shifts forward onto the right leg. This keeps the pelvis and spine in a vertical position as the weight is transferred in a controlled fashion.

In the second figure (Figure 7), the person begins the same step but fails to change weight correctly. The weight remains rooted on the left leg which trails behind. The pelvis is not brought into alignment with the right leg as the right forefoot lowers. The failure to change weight correctly causes the body to fall into the step, with the entire spine and pelvis tilting forward. The vertical posture is immediately disturbed. The spine is no longer vertically aligned over the pelvis and hip joints. This adds stress to the spine, which is meant to remain vertical, like a well built stack of building blocks.

Figure 7. This figure shows the same step initiation demonstrated in figure 6. The difference is the core is not activated at the correct time to change weight to the right leg. It remains rooted on the left leg as the center of gravity shifts forward, leading to a forward pitching of the pelvis and the spine. People who walk in this manner do not activate the weight change until after the lowering of the forefoot. The essentially start the next step too late. Once this happens, the body will remain pitched forward with each step unless the correct walking technique is used.

There are a good number of people who walk around like this. You will notice that the head is tilted down so the person is looking at the ground in front of them and not at the horizon. People who walk like this appear to be falling into each step. It may give the impression that they are in a hurry. The posture may be totally fine as long as the person is standing vertical, but once they begin to walk, it is all over for the posture. You will notice in people who walk like this that the arm swing does not begin to move forward as the forefoot lowers. The next step, and thus the change in arm swing, is not initiated until after the forefoot has lowered. This faulty walking technique and posture is easy to spot.

The third figure (Figure 8) is a much more common occurence than the second. It is based on the same mistake made in the second figure, the failure to change weight after heel contact. The difference is the person in Figure 8 realizes being bent over when walking is not correct, so they arch the back to bring the upper back and head back to the vertical position. In doing so, they feel like the posture is great because their head is vertical. The problem is that they fail to fix the pelvic position, which remains tilted forward, and the curvature of the lower back is exaggerated. There is only the illusion of good posture. This type of forward pelvic tilt and exaggerated spinal curvature is one of the most common issues treated by a chiropractor. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter how many times the back and pelvis are adjusted, it will continue to fall out of alignment because it is based on the nature of the walk. This type of walk is harder to spot if you don't know what you are looking for. One of the easier signs to look for is that the arms will have an exaggerated backward swing on account of the overextension of the upper back and shoulders. A large percentage of my patients with chronic back pain stand with this type of posture becasue they walk with this type of walk. Consequently, it is impossible to correct this posture without correcting the walking technique.

Figure 8. In this figure, we see the same step initiation from figure 7. The person again fails to change weight correctly. The difference is that this person compensates for the forward lean by arching the back. You can see the exaggerated arch in the lower back, giving the appearance of correct posture, but it is not. The pelvis is tilted forward, called an anterior pelvic tilt. The lower back is in a nonfunctional alignment that places strain on the vertebra and connective tissues and eventually contributes to back pain. Therapists and chiropractors try to help patients with anterior pelvic tilt by strengthining muscles, but without correcting the gait, the problem will not be fixed

When a person walks in the manner shown in Figure 8, the resulting posture will eventually become fixed and difficult to correct. The posture will exist whether walking or standing still. Since the pelvis is held in a continuously forward flexed position, the hip flexors begin to shorten and tighten. The lower back muscles do the same. Eventually, assuming a normal, well aligned, posture becomes impossible. Form changes because of a change in function. It's like your mother told you, if you make that face long enough, it will stay that way. There is some truth in that.

 
The alignment of the spine is not all that changes when walking technique changes. Pitching forward with walking has the effect of concentrating the center of gravity over the insides of the feet and the knees. This occurs because of the nature of the core movement which will be described later. The effect of this is eventual collapsing of the arches. This is why so many people need arch supports. The concentration of the weight over the insides of the knee joints also leads to eventual wear and tear, deterrioration of the joints, and arthritis. In Figure 9, you will see an xray of the knee joints in a person with arthritis. You don't have to be a radiologist to see the collapse of the joint space on the inside portion of each knee. This is the most common location of knee arthritis, and I believe it is a direct result of incorrect posture and walking technique over many years. The fact that the arthritis is so symmetric gives you a clue that it is not related to a previous injury.

Figure 9. The picture to the above is an x-ray of the knee joints of a person demonstrating "bone on bone" arthritis in the inside knee joint spaces which can be caused by years of asymmetric overloading of forces on the inside portions of the knee. The fact that both sides are the same can allow one to infer that this was not the result of an injury. Compare this asymmetric wear to the car tire.

Even the shoes we wear can alter our function and then inadvertently alter our form, often with detrimental side effects. When women wear heels too often, their achilles tendons may shorten, making it hard to walk barefoot or in flats. People who wear flip flops on a regular basis often unconsciously begin walking with their feet turned out. This helps keep the flip flops on the feet, but it eventually becomes their default walking style. As the weight rolls over the inside of the feet with each step, the arches are more susceptible to collapse. Most people don't pay any attention to the way they walk, so they don't notice as these changes are happening. The first thing that may bring the problem to their attention is pain, and then it may be too late.

Part of the focus of this book is on the mechanics of walking, but equally important is calling attention to the need for people to be consciously aware of the way they walk. Only by being aware can people even begin to prevent problems before they start. Walking is one of the most important functions that we perform, yet we pay so little attention to it. The physical signs of destructive changes in our form are common. Bunions and hammertoes on the feet, collapsed arches, and exaggerated curvture of the spine are just a few. In my opinion, they all relate to improper function and not to random genetic defects or bad luck. When people pay attention to the way they function, the human form is designed to endure for a long time.