My stride comes from my pelvis, thigh, or hips — what next?

We have good news and bad news for you. The bad news is that this way of walking is not natural and over time, it can lead to all sorts of different problems with our bodies. Ironically, the vast majority of people walk this way. 

The good news is that there’s plenty of potential to improve your stride and the function of your entire musculoskeletal system. The second part of our challenge will help you do just that: 

Activate the sole of your foot

How? While you’re practicing your five minutes of mindful walking each day, focus on the contact of the ball of your foot with the floor and try to “reverse” the mechanism of your step. At the moment where you would normally “throw” your foot forward using the pelvis and hip area, try instead to bounce off your toes and allow the force to propel you forward. 

Keep in mind that your foot doesn’t have to land far in front of your body when you walk this way. It’s perfectly all right to place it gently directly under your body. Your stride may be shorter, but it will be healthy and correct!