yikes ,i just started forefoot striking ,but i landed on the ball of my feet near the big toe, already did a good 20-30 miles,well well ,i will have to retrain to land near the pinki first witch makes alot more sense as more of the foot is utilized
Wow. I feel like a 2-year-old learning how to walk again... had no idea I was doing this wrong my whole life. Thank you for teaching us the right way to walk!!
Bro, you’re changing lives! I work 12 hrs on my feet and had hella pain. I started implementing the tips from these videos and the pain went away. God bless man
Studying and applying this right now so I can take proper care of my body. Just as somebody would take care of their dream car, take care of your body. Its literally the most advanced and complex machine on earth.
This guy gets it. The video with 1.8 million views doesn’t even show the dude’s feet! I changed the way I walk because I was a heel striker. Glad this dude agrees with how I’m walking now.
This is the only video with a clear visual demonstration of the actual mechanics of walking and not just a whole lot of indecipherable technical jargon. Thank you soooo much ❣️
I personally have undergone ACL surgery and I can't stress enough to say that such an insignificant topic could actually be so important. Who ever wants to watch a video on 'How to walk'? I have flat feet and I always feel instability when I walk, my knees tend to give way. However, the last part of the video really helped me understand the core issue. Thanks
I have Cerebral palsy and this is beautiful. I am 17 and I’ve been treating my cerebral palsy for 10 years. This is seriously amazing. I’m working to become a physical therapist and this needs to become a tool for all PT. No one really knows how much one small thing such as your big toe being straight with your body can do for you. I used to not be able to physically do that, when I could that changed so much. It took so much pain off of me. Then doing that corrected my ankles that helped my knees then my hips. So all of this is seriously beautiful.
Hi there, I see that I was the last person to comment , and that was 2 years ago.. unfortunately, I was still too busy watching the majority of people heel to toe walking and believed that was the correct way to walk as well as being told by practitioners. Honestly, I have been in so much pain, heel to toe was so unnatural to me, it completely distorted my body. I am a natural forefoot walker and sprinter and was referred to as the "gazelle" in my youth.. I used to glide gracefully until suddenly I forgot how to hold myself and walk. ( life getting in the way) . But, I just have to say again, 2 years on, that your explanation in these videos confirms that I was walking right all along. People have often said I walk strangely.. but it is they who do. So massive thank you, look forward to more enlightening videos. Excellent work. S
This has been so eye-opening. I can feel my body responding immediately to begin walking with energy and enthusiasm. Like breaking loose from a straight jacket. All my like I have been walking incorrectly and with restrictive shoes. I can't thank you enough for sharing this life-changing information. God Bless
Ah finally! I always ran landing on my forefoot, but somehow walked landing on my heel. This way of walking feels so much more fluid and natural! And I had to learn it, because I'm walking barefoot most of the time now. I can't wait to see how this will impact the knee and lower back pain I have. Thank you for sharing!
I'm glad you found it helpful. Look at my video on anterior pelvic tilt, even though you may not have it, the exercise strengthens the lower back and has helped alleviate my lower back pain.
Update is that I practiced and bought barefoot shoes, but ended up with plantar fasciitis soon after. It started with my feet feeling overworked when I woke up in the morning. They felt tired and somewhat painful. Until I woke up with full on pf one morning. It was incredibly painful. I have to do stretches and I wear nothing but birkenstock or shoes with support for high arches ever since. It's been 2 years and it's still the only way for me to be pain-free.
The lower back pain didn't go away with the exercises. I just recently found out that the cause of my lower back pain is something that only surgery can fix. My c section scar has attached itself to my core muscles. This in turn makes my back weak.
Man, thank you so much for this video. No one took me serious when I said I need to learn to walk again, but you already addressed an issue that a lot of people have and we are not even aware of it. Thanks thanks thanks!
I’ve been in so much pain, I’ve missed out on so much that I have wanted to do because I don’t want to walk or run. I’m 27 and trying to properly learn to walk and fix this issue. Thank you for your videos. You have helped me a lot.
People making fun of the video has no idea how this normal natural skill that mankind has developed since childhood can affect overall body normal functions if not engaging the right muscles while walking which something we do constantly on a daily basis, you guys can develop bunions back pain spine pain bones deformation be grateful for having people trying to educate you, and a little observation for this great man who is making the video it would avoid you a lot if negative comments if you use more accurate title words such as how to work in healthy way or understand how walking poorly can cause a lot issues some people
Me: walk across two rooms with my blinds open, get to end of hallway: “wow” Me: turn around and walk all the way back, “wow” Me: turn around and walk across the room hallways again, “wow” Neighbors: peering through their blinds at me “wtf is this chick doing” 😆 I just see SUCH a difference with this walk. And I don’t appear to be stiff in my walk when I do this.. my hips move much more naturally doing this. So fascinating!!!
I find I can walk for hours like this with no pain. Incredible, my hips, feet and knees feel amazing. My mobility feels stronger too. By walking like this my legs always feel ready for anything too. No need to stretch or do a warmup because they are already engaged
Wow! My husband and I both walk how you walked at the very beginning of your video. Starting today, we'll practice how to walk correctly for the very first time in our life. I don't even know how to thank you!!!
When u land on mid foot (a little fore foot ball, which highest concentration of muscle) and not on heel you're allowing the air between the mid foot and land to absorb the shock. Also the toes and fore foot spread the shock bcz they're wide and there are gaps in the bones unlike the heel which is a single ball on the rod, less elastic and immediately it propagates shock to the knee and then to your lower back.. this posture correction I realised myself after many experiments, bcz all other walking technique I saw were doing it differently and Everytime I walked with my heel, my knee and lower back used to get sore. Now with this correction I get pain in my calf muscle and thighs which is right! Thanks for confirming my technique!
Why should you have any pain when walking? He's right about a lot of the things he says but not about landing on the ball of the foot...take small steps and roll over the front of the heel, not the back and not the ball.
My feet are as flat as they come, and my hips had always felt so tense with a lot of pain! Been walking like this for about a month and it's nearly life changing! Thanks, I'm glad I searched "how to walk".
Thanks so much! Great explanation. I had this down a few years ago but lost it and needed the refresher. I miss the strength I felt in my walk instead of this lumbering movement I fell back into.
Been walking with the forestrike for 6 months now and it feels so much better and natural, I had pain on the lower part of the knee and that went away. 3 months in I started to feel a lot of pain on the upper part of my knee, after researching a bit a think it was called runner's knee. My wife insisted that it was because the way I walked, and it sort of was, but I didn't like the idea of going back to heelstriiking, because forestriking just felt much better. After researching runner's knee I saw on a channel from a physical therapist that the problem is not on the knees, but the vastus medialis and/or lateralis, you should massage them and the knee pain should go away. In my case it was both, massaging them was so painful, but at the same time relieving. Now I use one of those massage rods for a couple minutes in each leg and have next to no pain, hope to be pain free soon. Just a tip for those who may have had the same problem.
Just seeing your video for the first time. Great start. After 9 years of me telling people that running on our heels is damaging to the body I thought it must be the same for walking so I stopped walking on my heels 14 months (July 22, 2018) to see what would happen. After 2 months of walking 5 to 10 miles a day, my back tension went away. Up until then when I bent over at my waist my back would ache. Then over the next 5 months I was able to keep my heels higher off the ground, like a dog or deer, using more of my tendons and ligaments, and my Gluteal muscles. My glutes had been very tight for 25 years and I was unable to bend straight down all the way at my knees, but after 7 months of pad/toe walking, 25 years of tension had vanished, and I could then bend all the way to the ground. Next up, my feet, which at 17 years old had been diagnosed as mobile-flat-feet. After 12 months of walking naturally, with no heel strike, my right foot had a good arch and my left foot was starting to form one. Next year I plan to prove that we are designed to walk and run with stiff ankles, like dogs deer, horses gazelles, and some little kids, by beating the 100 metre sprint record in the 55 - 59 age group (11.30 seconds) so that nobody will be able to argue with me that toe walking bad unless they are brainless. Thanks for sharing.
That last point he makes about being aware of aware of where your body is at all times is very important. I was listening to this while I walked my dog, and I dunno if it's because when I walk my dog in the quiet woods near my house, I feel almost high with awareness, or maybe it was the bowl I had smoked beforehand, but i started moving like I was a video game character, specifically Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption 2. He had great posture, and since it is a 3rd person perspective game, you see him running and walking from behind a lot. So i started walking like him because it reminded me of this guy's very deliberate movement. I think that's the key, the deliberateness of the walking. I used to walk by almost falling, but in a very controlled way. I never noticed till I started really "trying" to walk like a video game character. Like, using muscular flexing. I seriously didn't realize I was just" falling" forward unconsciously instead of moving deliberately. I only noticed the difference afterwards, but damn is it a huge difference.
As a 31 ye old toddler who gave herself a Jones fracture 4 weeks ago by not knowing how to walk. I really appreciate someone finally teaching me how to walk properly. Lol
you don't have enough likes for how much you are helping people. Thank you for this video. I've recently realized I've been walking wrong my whole life because, partially because I've never been shown, partially because of the shoes I've been told I need. Barefoot/minimalist lifestyle has literally saved my life. Thank you again for explaining the mechanics so detailed.
I'm 32 and didn't pay heed to how I walk, until my ankles and legs hurt intolerably due to overpronation. It gets in the way of everything that I do. At 32, I'm starting to learn and practice how to walk properly. Thank you for this.
I have been wearing an ankle compression sock, topically applying naproxen gel and taking pain relievers religiously for YEARS (I have an os trigonum on left heel). I switched to barefoot shoes 2 years ago which helped tremendously with running, workouts and all over body issues. It recently occurred to me that what if I was walking wrong my entire life? As women we’re taught heel to toe for heels and to exaggerate spine movement- which may be fine for a dinner out dressed up, but not 24/7. About 2-3 weeks ago I found your videos which are the ONLY ones reflecting this mid foot strike approach over a heel strike. I spent about two hours practicing on a treadmill at first. My ankle has actually stopped swelling and needing constant pain relievers, and I barely have to pop anti inflammatory pain pills now! Also my QL muscles don’t lock up after runs or long walks which is definitely life changing. I can’t believe how something so simple can have such a profound quality of life difference. Don’t stop preaching about this!
So, I have scoliosis and kneeproblems. I’ve bee landing on my heel during the gait cycle for decades. Im going to learn your method and see if it helps my pain. Thank you so much. I keep hearing about the windlass mechanism, but I never understood it. Brilliant.
This is a great explanation! I have taken a barefoot running/chi running course in the past which encouraged mid foot landing but I have never seen it linked to what the rear foot is doing so clearly. I just walked across the room and felt like I finally understood it.
I think his trying to say: you don't have to be arched-footed to walk like one and with great efficiency. There is hope for flat-footed individuals. Thank you.
I just tried these tips and it made me tear up... 😂 I was very sedentary for many years due to an illness and sort of forgot how to walk properly. I'm 2.5 years into my recovery and every day, all day I've been trying to figure out the right way to walk again. I wish I found this sooner! Thank you so much, man. You're a real one.
Thank you so much. I’ve been trying to get active again and noticed that simply walking was far too painful for it to be normal. I’ve watched a lot of videos and talked to people about where to put my foot, when to bend my knee, how to keep my back straight and chin up, the rate at which we should walk, and I was trying to put it all together but it just wasn’t feeling right and ultimately hurt even more than when I wasn’t thinking about it. Well, I tried your way and incorporated the arm swinging and it all fell into place. I guess I was thinking so hard about my legs that I was neglecting to consider my arms and was wobbling all over the place from poor balance. You’re the best, dude!
Thanks, even in my senior years , I feel the need to correct landing on my heels- wish that I had heard about these things earlier in my life, but better late than never- still trying, and I appreciate you 🙏
This is very helpful. In practicing this movement, I had to consciously think about the back foot pushing off from the toes in order to have front foot land properly on toes. It’s like being a baby learning to walk. 🙂
Your comment is very helpful. I just watched the video (and will rewatch), but I still wasn’t quite clear on the mechanics. Your description of the back foot pushing off from the toes made it click for me.
This is the best video I have seen to help aches and pains due to pronation and consequent poor posture. I have been following your advice now for just 2 days, and already I have felt a vast improvement. I have spent years consulting with GPs who try to treat the pains but avoid the source of the problem, and physios who give me some stretching exercises and sell me yet another pair of insoles. Insoles support the foot but still don't address the problem, until eventually it becomes painful to walk without them. I have even been advised NEVER to walk barefoot. Your video has changed everything! Only 2 days later just walking barefoot around the house, I have no pains in my feet, knees or hips. Thank you.
Sir walking is not even a thing. 1000 years ago when we didn't have shoes and cars we used to walk, bare foot 100s of km and that's the least thing we have done. So don't trust ppl when they say don't walk bare foot. Or May be we have already messed it to the extent, so yes listen to them.
Thank you for your videos. I have major duck feet that I'm trying to fix. You seem to understand the complexities of these issues better than anyone else on youtube.
The first step is to be mindful of the position of your feet and aim your trajectory with your big toe. You may also need to perform some glute stretches like pigeon pose. Thanks for watching.
This is fab. Though I pronate (and am in the middle of all sorts of things to help correct that), I walk with my feet facing directly in front of me at the midline (most who over pronate stand duck feet outward). The result of having loved to walk on the edges of things (including railings) as if I was walking on a balance beam. (As a kid, while everyone else was walking on the sidewalk, I was walking on the curb... well, not just as a kid... I did this a lot as an adult because it's fun.) The windless method is how you walk on a balance beam save for the fact that you're not walking with your feet single file. It would have been difficult for me to keep all the instructions in my head, but if I imagine my movement on a balance beam , I got this. Thanks so much! Bless you, bless you, bless you.
Great video! Finally someone on the internet stating how to walk properly by pushing off w/ the toes on one foot while landing on the forefoot (outer edge first) of the opposite foot. A quick Google search on how to walk properly says to walk heel to toe...which is wrong and will destroy the knees in many people...talk about fake news LOL. I enjoyed your video, great information!!!
Thank you so much, i saw your videos, i had ischias and hell of a pain after trying this kind of walking the pain is going away, i am still doing your advice and it feels like a miracle for me, what it surely is, thank you, from the Netherlands
Long story short.....I tried the windlass technique on a walk last night and although I do spend a significant time barefoot and rather ginger as I gate, this gave me a focus and effortless stride last night that I hadn't noticed before. I ended up doing 3 times my usual stroll. Thank you for breaking this down and demonstrating, it appears the final piece of the puzzle I have be missing. respect....E
Excellent video. I have started to relearn how to walk properly after recovering from planta fasciitis. Public schools should teach kids how to walk and run properly as part of their PE classes.
I go to high school I’m a good runner but for walking to fast my friends would say why do I walk stiffed but this video fix it. I KNOW HOW TO WALK !!!!
Great video, thank you! My newly found minimalist shoe interest lead my to try and learn more about walking, and here I came across your great tutorial today. Cheers~
Thank you very much for this video and sharing your wisdom and experiences with healthy body patterns and biomechanics. Learning to walk again in my thirties...
This helped my pain to my plantar fasciitus just adjusting from my walk from my bed to the bathroom. Usually it is unbearable to get up and walk because the pain shoots up but I did this and there was no pain which really made me emotional. Do your best and thank you for the video.
I've been trying to become the best possible person I can be, and honestly, this helped a lot. I'm amazed by how something as simple as walking is messed up and leads to life-time issues. Thank you for this video. I'm appreciative of how simple things like this are messed up though, as it feels like once you know how to fix it, it's almost like opening a third eye. Life-changing really.
It will take me a lot of time and effort to learn how to walk. For 30 years, i do not walk correctly. And now, with barefoot shoes, i can barely walk more than 30 minutes because it hurts a lot, and i have to do small steps before i learn to use them every time. But i know I'm in the right direction. Thanks for the technique you showed in the video.
Man thanks alot for this video. I've been trying to fix my gait for a good year now. Been experiencing plantar fasciitis in the left foot lately. I pray as I start training this things will get better. God bless you man and keep going
I find this to be most correct and easy explanation how to walk correctly. But there is one thing missing. You need more slightly more flexion in the knees during the walking. walking on straighter leg doesn't utilize the shock-absorption capabilities of the knee joint.
Great instructions! thanks! I have just started 3 monthes ago to use barefoot shoes and walk barefoot outdoor a little bit everyday, (my feet and legs and my whole posture got MUCH better indeed!) and your video made things very clear... One question- when DO I use the heels and how? thanks again !
I’ve been having trouble with arch pain due to low/weak arches and a recent ankle sprain. I didn’t notice until today how I was striking the ground heel first. The way you described it, pushing off the ground to move forward rather than passively utilizing the hip flexors really helped me.
Glad to hear! The problems of walking are slightly different for everyone, I just try to give one angle of approach and hope it works for some, like it did for me.
I have 2 flat feet!.. and tight calves, my heal drops also, and pronation issues, I wear Brooks shoes 👟, they help 95%. Thanks for the heel reference, going for a 90 minute walk @9am, using these great techniques.. God-Bless You!! 🕊
Thank you for this video, simply explained. Hoping this may help with severe calf pain which has recently developed. (Coming out of lockdown I've realised that I have barely walked outdoors at all and now wearing 'real' shoes again I'd somehow got it into my head I was supposed to walk heel to toe... ) Will practice this until it feels natural again.
I found you in the comments of another video about walking. They didn't demonstrate and I didn't understand what they meant. I found your video very instructive and I understand why leading with your toes would be helpful. I also appreciate the exercise on how to improve balance. As I get older, I find my balance isn't what it used to be so I needed to see that. Thank you
Great video. Buying a pair of Vibrams and forefoot walking Ive gone from being able to walk 100 yards to being able to walk 5 miles. I’m 47 and although I’m fit from cycling and weight training I thought that wheel chair was coming because my ankles hurt so bad. All I needed to do was where barefoot shoes, forefoot strike and pick my feet up higher. It’s taken a year but I’m happier now. Actually, I’m just going out for a walk in my Vibrams. I just wish they would make them a bit more waterproof for the winter. I have some regular zero rise trainers for wet days but nothing like the toe shoes. Thanks again for the great video. I actually watched this a year ago and it was what convinced me to buy the vibram toe shoes. So thanks 🙏
Thanks. I will take a look. What I really need are some smart minimalist shoes for work, but the vivobarefoot are to narrow. Amazing all these trainers you can buy but nothing is better than our own feet.
wow, your post gave me so much hope. i’m 33 and i’ve been so terrified of what’s happening to me. countless x-rays -hips, ankles, pelvis, lumbar, cervical, thoracic, foot, ankle, etc. tons of physical therapy that doesn’t help when i know what’s happening isn’t right but docs just brush me off. your post gave me some light.
really thank you so much. people have been making fun of me because of my walk for years. Thanks to this video, I can walk properly. thank you really heartfelt
Finally I found the best video on the subject. 100 points for demonstrating it bare footed. Another 100 for the perfect camera focus. Great explanation as well 💯
Yooooooo🤜🏾🤛🏾thank you sooooo much for making this video!!!! I been trying to figure out why I was wobbling so much when I walk, now I understand that it was my foot placement!!! ATTENTION, if your feet have very high arches don’t think a flat footed posture is for you cause you will loose balance!! Maaaaaaan I thought something was wrong with me
Shoes with cushioned heels, especially thick ones, force you to heel strike and can cause more ankle pronation. Flat flexible shoes help with more natural movements.
What a wonderful video! Thank you for the info, I'm about to binge watch all your vids! Didn't know I've been walking wrong all these years, no wonder my back hurts!
I echo sentiments already expressed that this is the best video on walking I've seen on RUclips to date. I think the only thing I didn't hear here that I've heard elsewhere is to try to track your knee over your middle toe while walking to keep your big toes pointing forward. With that tip and this structure, I'm walking quite differently over the last two days (I wear minimalist shoes so this is possible for me to do) and feeling way less pressure with each step and feel my hips loosening up as well. Good work, friend. Keep it up!
Christopher Webb Please explain tracking your knee over your foot for me! I’ve been struggling for years, and I’m looking for that relief by having your body self align, which you’re describing.
Thanks so much for these great videos on barefoot/walking! I’m planning to walk the El Camino De Santiago in Spain (800 km) in September, and want to do as much as I can barefoot, so getting a really clear view of the actual correct walking posture and step has been incredibly helpful! I find that pretending I’m walking on a slippery surface really helps when my brain tries to revert to the ‘old style’ heal strike. :)
After watching the videos present by this gentleman, I know I have been using my body incorrectly probably for the last 70 years. For an old man I am in good physical condition except my feet. Flat feet and painful neuropathy in my left big toe has been plaguing me for a long time. Last spring I discovered barefoot walking as a habit and I have worn shoes only when necessary for protection when mowing and chainsawing and when going to town for supplies. I live in a wilderness area of northern USA which is a perfect place to go without shoes. I estimate I have been shod about twenty times in the last five months. I purchased Xero shoes and sandals to use when in town. I also have on order toe separators. I am hoping by learning from this man and continuing with what I have been doing I can improve my condition.
Dude! I've been looking for this and didn't get it. Best explanation of how to! Thank you very much! I wrote that before finishing the video. Great idea adding the exercise in there.
Wow, so glad you said this, as I thought I was odd for never letting my heels touch the ground even in walking. And, when I forgot how to walk for the past 8 years now, I started walking heel to toe, and, it has completely messed me up.! I was trying to follow everyone's advice online and watched how others walked! Now I realise I had always walked in the proper way.. so thanks to this amazing human and his videos.
Find more Walking Videos, Here: ruclips.net/p/PLZFE95XAoYbWRpHHP_tfqQx9sb_Cq9OXf
yikes ,i just started forefoot striking ,but i landed on the ball of my feet near the big toe, already did a good 20-30 miles,well well ,i will have to retrain to land near the pinki first witch makes alot more sense as more of the foot is utilized
Thank you for making these videos.
As a 28 year old toddler learning how to walk, this is great
Wow. I feel like a 2-year-old learning how to walk again... had no idea I was doing this wrong my whole life. Thank you for teaching us the right way to walk!!
I'm glad to help!
indeed!!
It's probably not your fault, between social restrictions, stress, injuries, and bad modeling in media most of us don't walk naturally.
Tell me about it. I'm disappointed in myself 😂
This guy knows nothing about anatomy. That’s a wrong technique. You have to step from heal to toe, otherwise your heel, knees and back will get weak.
Bro, you’re changing lives! I work 12 hrs on my feet and had hella pain. I started implementing the tips from these videos and the pain went away. God bless man
Like I actually enjoy walking now lmao
Love to hear it! Thanks for watching and doing it.
He's still liking comment from 3 days ago! Love it 😂👏🏼
Finally, I can walk
🤣🤣🤣🤣😂🤣😂🤣
Nice one bro
Lols
Seriously no laughing matter if you had stroke
Skill unlocked: Walking
Studying and applying this right now so I can take proper care of my body. Just as somebody would take care of their dream car, take care of your body. Its literally the most advanced and complex machine on earth.
Great concept to live by! Thanks for watching.
This guy gets it.
The video with 1.8 million views doesn’t even show the dude’s feet!
I changed the way I walk because I was a heel striker.
Glad this dude agrees with how I’m walking now.
Thank you!
This is the only video with a clear visual demonstration of the actual mechanics of walking and not just a whole lot of indecipherable technical jargon. Thank you soooo much ❣️
I personally have undergone ACL surgery and I can't stress enough to say that such an insignificant topic could actually be so important. Who ever wants to watch a video on 'How to walk'? I have flat feet and I always feel instability when I walk, my knees tend to give way. However, the last part of the video really helped me understand the core issue. Thanks
Thanks for watching! Glad to be of help.
I've noticed a huge difference in my walk. It takes conscious effort at first.. Thank You for posting.
I have Cerebral palsy and this is beautiful. I am 17 and I’ve been treating my cerebral palsy for 10 years. This is seriously amazing. I’m working to become a physical therapist and this needs to become a tool for all PT. No one really knows how much one small thing such as your big toe being straight with your body can do for you. I used to not be able to physically do that, when I could that changed so much. It took so much pain off of me. Then doing that corrected my ankles that helped my knees then my hips. So all of this is seriously beautiful.
I'm glad you found it helpful. The big toe is the cornerstone of the posterior chain.
You are correct, everything is connected, and small changes make a big difference. Good luck in your work
I have it too! I'm 24 I box I always thought heel strikes was the proper way 🥊
Hi there, I see that I was the last person to comment , and that was 2 years ago.. unfortunately, I was still too busy watching the majority of people heel to toe walking and believed that was the correct way to walk as well as being told by practitioners. Honestly, I have been in so much pain, heel to toe was so unnatural to me, it completely distorted my body. I am a natural forefoot walker and sprinter and was referred to as the "gazelle" in my youth.. I used to glide gracefully until suddenly I forgot how to hold myself and walk. ( life getting in the way) . But, I just have to say again, 2 years on, that your explanation in these videos confirms that I was walking right all along. People have often said I walk strangely.. but it is they who do. So massive thank you, look forward to more enlightening videos. Excellent work.
S
Thanks for watching! I will say this, if it feels good, do it.
Your body will respond with pain when it is stressed by your position or movement.
This has been so eye-opening. I can feel my body responding immediately to begin walking with energy and enthusiasm. Like breaking loose from a straight jacket. All my like I have been walking incorrectly and with restrictive shoes. I can't thank you enough for sharing this life-changing information. God Bless
I've been trying to switch to forefoot strike for weeks now. It's only thanks to this video that it finally clicked. Thank you.
Great to hear!
Ah finally! I always ran landing on my forefoot, but somehow walked landing on my heel. This way of walking feels so much more fluid and natural! And I had to learn it, because I'm walking barefoot most of the time now.
I can't wait to see how this will impact the knee and lower back pain I have.
Thank you for sharing!
I'm glad you found it helpful. Look at my video on anterior pelvic tilt, even though you may not have it, the exercise strengthens the lower back and has helped alleviate my lower back pain.
How are you doing now?
2 year update?
Update is that I practiced and bought barefoot shoes, but ended up with plantar fasciitis soon after. It started with my feet feeling overworked when I woke up in the morning. They felt tired and somewhat painful. Until I woke up with full on pf one morning. It was incredibly painful. I have to do stretches and I wear nothing but birkenstock or shoes with support for high arches ever since. It's been 2 years and it's still the only way for me to be pain-free.
The lower back pain didn't go away with the exercises. I just recently found out that the cause of my lower back pain is something that only surgery can fix. My c section scar has attached itself to my core muscles. This in turn makes my back weak.
Man, thank you so much for this video. No one took me serious when I said I need to learn to walk again, but you already addressed an issue that a lot of people have and we are not even aware of it. Thanks thanks thanks!
Thank You!
Thank you brother. I am 39 and is never to late to learn. Appreciate it.
I’ve been in so much pain, I’ve missed out on so much that I have wanted to do because I don’t want to walk or run. I’m 27 and trying to properly learn to walk and fix this issue. Thank you for your videos. You have helped me a lot.
hows the leg pain brotha?
People making fun of the video has no idea how this normal natural skill that mankind has developed since childhood can affect overall body normal functions if not engaging the right muscles while walking which something we do constantly on a daily basis, you guys can develop bunions back pain spine pain bones deformation be grateful for having people trying to educate you, and a little observation for this great man who is making the video it would avoid you a lot if negative comments if you use more accurate title words such as how to work in healthy way or understand how walking poorly can cause a lot issues some people
Great video! I have been a heel walker for 56 years! Now walking correctly - feeling great!
Excellent!!
Me: walk across two rooms with my blinds open, get to end of hallway: “wow”
Me: turn around and walk all the way back, “wow”
Me: turn around and walk across the room hallways again, “wow”
Neighbors: peering through their blinds at me “wtf is this chick doing”
😆
I just see SUCH a difference with this walk. And I don’t appear to be stiff in my walk when I do this.. my hips move much more naturally doing this. So fascinating!!!
😂😂
Literally me walking around my apartment at 10 pm lmfao
I find I can walk for hours like this with no pain. Incredible, my hips, feet and knees feel amazing. My mobility feels stronger too. By walking like this my legs always feel ready for anything too. No need to stretch or do a warmup because they are already engaged
Excellent! I'm glad you are having a good experience.
i've flat foot , and always being told until now ( i'm 22 yo ) that my walk looks weird and now i finally know how to walk properly thanks you !
I've struggled for years with barefoot running/walking. This looks promising. Great video
Wow! My husband and I both walk how you walked at the very beginning of your video. Starting today, we'll practice how to walk correctly for the very first time in our life. I don't even know how to thank you!!!
Your better health is thanks enough. Thanks for watching!
When u land on mid foot (a little fore foot ball, which highest concentration of muscle) and not on heel you're allowing the air between the mid foot and land to absorb the shock. Also the toes and fore foot spread the shock bcz they're wide and there are gaps in the bones unlike the heel which is a single ball on the rod, less elastic and immediately it propagates shock to the knee and then to your lower back.. this posture correction I realised myself after many experiments, bcz all other walking technique I saw were doing it differently and Everytime I walked with my heel, my knee and lower back used to get sore. Now with this correction I get pain in my calf muscle and thighs which is right! Thanks for confirming my technique!
Yes, you are correct. The heel is best used for stability (especially under load) and pivoting.
Why should you have any pain when walking? He's right about a lot of the things he says but not about landing on the ball of the foot...take small steps and roll over the front of the heel, not the back and not the ball.
@@rbzzzzzrb What, there's nothing left to roll onto. There's no reason to land on your heel.
Just like marching walk
My feet are as flat as they come, and my hips had always felt so tense with a lot of pain! Been walking like this for about a month and it's nearly life changing! Thanks, I'm glad I searched "how to walk".
Thank you. After a broken leg surgery the therapist kept saying heel toe. Not workin! This is 🎉
Thanks so much! Great explanation. I had this down a few years ago but lost it and needed the refresher. I miss the strength I felt in my walk instead of this lumbering movement I fell back into.
Excellent! The pleasure is mine.
Been walking with the forestrike for 6 months now and it feels so much better and natural, I had pain on the lower part of the knee and that went away. 3 months in I started to feel a lot of pain on the upper part of my knee, after researching a bit a think it was called runner's knee. My wife insisted that it was because the way I walked, and it sort of was, but I didn't like the idea of going back to heelstriiking, because forestriking just felt much better. After researching runner's knee I saw on a channel from a physical therapist that the problem is not on the knees, but the vastus medialis and/or lateralis, you should massage them and the knee pain should go away. In my case it was both, massaging them was so painful, but at the same time relieving. Now I use one of those massage rods for a couple minutes in each leg and have next to no pain, hope to be pain free soon. Just a tip for those who may have had the same problem.
Just seeing your video for the first time.
Great start.
After 9 years of me telling people that running on our heels is damaging to the body I thought it must be the same for walking so I stopped walking on my heels 14 months (July 22, 2018) to see what would happen.
After 2 months of walking 5 to 10 miles a day, my back tension went away. Up until then when I bent over at my waist my back would ache.
Then over the next 5 months I was able to keep my heels higher off the ground, like a dog or deer, using more of my tendons and ligaments, and my Gluteal muscles.
My glutes had been very tight for 25 years and I was unable to bend straight down all the way at my knees, but after 7 months of pad/toe walking, 25 years of tension had vanished, and I could then bend all the way to the ground.
Next up, my feet, which at 17 years old had been diagnosed as mobile-flat-feet.
After 12 months of walking naturally, with no heel strike, my right foot had a good arch and my left foot was starting to form one.
Next year I plan to prove that we are designed to walk and run with stiff ankles, like dogs deer, horses gazelles, and some little kids, by beating the 100 metre sprint record in the 55 - 59 age group (11.30 seconds) so that nobody will be able to argue with me that toe walking bad unless they are brainless.
Thanks for sharing.
Wow. So it's possible to change flat feet! Thank you for sharing this
After watching a couple of your videos I think this one is the best. Good video to see the details and more specific dialogue. Thank you!
That last point he makes about being aware of aware of where your body is at all times is very important. I was listening to this while I walked my dog, and I dunno if it's because when I walk my dog in the quiet woods near my house, I feel almost high with awareness, or maybe it was the bowl I had smoked beforehand, but i started moving like I was a video game character, specifically Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption 2. He had great posture, and since it is a 3rd person perspective game, you see him running and walking from behind a lot. So i started walking like him because it reminded me of this guy's very deliberate movement.
I think that's the key, the deliberateness of the walking. I used to walk by almost falling, but in a very controlled way. I never noticed till I started really "trying" to walk like a video game character. Like, using muscular flexing. I seriously didn't realize I was just" falling" forward unconsciously instead of moving deliberately. I only noticed the difference afterwards, but damn is it a huge difference.
As a 31 ye old toddler who gave herself a Jones fracture 4 weeks ago by not knowing how to walk. I really appreciate someone finally teaching me how to walk properly. Lol
you don't have enough likes for how much you are helping people. Thank you for this video. I've recently realized I've been walking wrong my whole life because, partially because I've never been shown, partially because of the shoes I've been told I need. Barefoot/minimalist lifestyle has literally saved my life. Thank you again for explaining the mechanics so detailed.
Thank you! If it has helped you, that is the effect I hope to have.
I'm 32 and didn't pay heed to how I walk, until my ankles and legs hurt intolerably due to overpronation. It gets in the way of everything that I do. At 32, I'm starting to learn and practice how to walk properly. Thank you for this.
Glad to hear! It's my pleasure.
Me too! It hurts my lower back and hips. Now I’m learning how to walk again.
I have been wearing an ankle compression sock, topically applying naproxen gel and taking pain relievers religiously for YEARS (I have an os trigonum on left heel). I switched to barefoot shoes 2 years ago which helped tremendously with running, workouts and all over body issues. It recently occurred to me that what if I was walking wrong my entire life? As women we’re taught heel to toe for heels and to exaggerate spine movement- which may be fine for a dinner out dressed up, but not 24/7. About 2-3 weeks ago I found your videos which are the ONLY ones reflecting this mid foot strike approach over a heel strike. I spent about two hours practicing on a treadmill at first. My ankle has actually stopped swelling and needing constant pain relievers, and I barely have to pop anti inflammatory pain pills now! Also my QL muscles don’t lock up after runs or long walks which is definitely life changing. I can’t believe how something so simple can have such a profound quality of life difference. Don’t stop preaching about this!
This guy got me more comfortable with being barefoot. I love his tips, giving me a much more graceful walk.
SO helpful and clearly explains why I'm nearly in traction after walking! 👍🏽
So, I have scoliosis and kneeproblems. I’ve bee landing on my heel during the gait cycle for decades. Im going to learn your method and see if it helps my pain. Thank you so much. I keep hearing about the windlass mechanism, but I never understood it. Brilliant.
This is a great explanation! I have taken a barefoot running/chi running course in the past which encouraged mid foot landing but I have never seen it linked to what the rear foot is doing so clearly. I just walked across the room and felt like I finally understood it.
Fantastic!
I think his trying to say: you don't have to be arched-footed to walk like one and with great efficiency. There is hope for flat-footed individuals. Thank you.
In other words, for some people, the world is FLAT. :-)
I just tried these tips and it made me tear up... 😂 I was very sedentary for many years due to an illness and sort of forgot how to walk properly. I'm 2.5 years into my recovery and every day, all day I've been trying to figure out the right way to walk again. I wish I found this sooner! Thank you so much, man. You're a real one.
Thank you so much. I’ve been trying to get active again and noticed that simply walking was far too painful for it to be normal. I’ve watched a lot of videos and talked to people about where to put my foot, when to bend my knee, how to keep my back straight and chin up, the rate at which we should walk, and I was trying to put it all together but it just wasn’t feeling right and ultimately hurt even more than when I wasn’t thinking about it. Well, I tried your way and incorporated the arm swinging and it all fell into place. I guess I was thinking so hard about my legs that I was neglecting to consider my arms and was wobbling all over the place from poor balance. You’re the best, dude!
Thank you! I'm glad you found it helpful.
Thanks, even in my senior years , I feel the need to correct landing on my heels- wish that I had heard about these things earlier in my life, but better late than never- still trying, and I appreciate you 🙏
This is very helpful. In practicing this movement, I had to consciously think about the back foot pushing off from the toes in order to have front foot land properly on toes. It’s like being a baby learning to walk. 🙂
Your comment is very helpful. I just watched the video (and will rewatch), but I still wasn’t quite clear on the mechanics. Your description of the back foot pushing off from the toes made it click for me.
I underestimated how much I liked this video. I don't know if you're correct but this was definitely an informative video.
I’m 2 years old and this helped massively thanks
This is the best video I have seen to help aches and pains due to pronation and consequent poor posture. I have been following your advice now for just 2 days, and already I have felt a vast improvement. I have spent years consulting with GPs who try to treat the pains but avoid the source of the problem, and physios who give me some stretching exercises and sell me yet another pair of insoles. Insoles support the foot but still don't address the problem, until eventually it becomes painful to walk without them. I have even been advised NEVER to walk barefoot. Your video has changed everything! Only 2 days later just walking barefoot around the house, I have no pains in my feet, knees or hips. Thank you.
Thank you! I'm glad this video could help you.
Sir walking is not even a thing. 1000 years ago when we didn't have shoes and cars we used to walk, bare foot 100s of km and that's the least thing we have done. So don't trust ppl when they say don't walk bare foot. Or May be we have already messed it to the extent, so yes listen to them.
I didn't know that I would be learning how to walk at 26 years old, but here I am!
37 here, learning to walk all over again
Same same
26 yo too here. Greetings from Austria 🇦🇹
I'm 32 😛
I'm 30 and I am here to learn
Thanks. I'm really into toe exercises and foot mechanics lately after meniscus tear and my knees become unbalanced since. All the best
Happy to help!
Thank you for your videos. I have major duck feet that I'm trying to fix. You seem to understand the complexities of these issues better than anyone else on youtube.
The first step is to be mindful of the position of your feet and aim your trajectory with your big toe. You may also need to perform some glute stretches like pigeon pose. Thanks for watching.
Excellent explained thanks.
He does an excellent job of explaining everything. Thanks for making this video.
Thank you! Im glad you found it helpful.
After nearly 18 years RUclips finally recommended me this, I have so much power
Thank you!!
The 'tism takes a toll!
I needed info & to be able to visualize what I SHOULD be doing. Not what I have for 36 yrs
I am 6 weeks post op knee surgery and I found this video helpful
Glad to hear. I hope you make a full and quick recovery.
This guy is so good at explaining, I'd watch him describe how to make toast. Great video sir!
I have been implementing these solutions into my walking and out on the trails. They are very effective and my walking is improving rapidly.
Great! I'm glad to hear that!
You have no idea how much this video helped me! Thank you.
The pleasure is mine. I'm glad you found it helpful.
This is fab. Though I pronate (and am in the middle of all sorts of things to help correct that), I walk with my feet facing directly in front of me at the midline (most who over pronate stand duck feet outward). The result of having loved to walk on the edges of things (including railings) as if I was walking on a balance beam. (As a kid, while everyone else was walking on the sidewalk, I was walking on the curb... well, not just as a kid... I did this a lot as an adult because it's fun.) The windless method is how you walk on a balance beam save for the fact that you're not walking with your feet single file. It would have been difficult for me to keep all the instructions in my head, but if I imagine my movement on a balance beam , I got this. Thanks so much!
Bless you, bless you, bless you.
This vid changed my life, no cap
I'm glad to hear. All the best.
Great video! Finally someone on the internet stating how to walk properly by pushing off w/ the toes on one foot while landing on the forefoot (outer edge first) of the opposite foot. A quick Google search on how to walk properly says to walk heel to toe...which is wrong and will destroy the knees in many people...talk about fake news LOL. I enjoyed your video, great information!!!
Thank you so much, i saw your videos, i had ischias and hell of a pain after trying this kind of walking the pain is going away, i am still doing your advice and it feels like a miracle for me, what it surely is, thank you, from the Netherlands
Long story short.....I tried the windlass technique on a walk last night and although I do spend a significant time barefoot and rather ginger as I gate, this gave me a focus and effortless stride last night that I hadn't noticed before. I ended up doing 3 times my usual stroll. Thank you for breaking this down and demonstrating, it appears the final piece of the puzzle I have be missing. respect....E
That is great to hear! Thank you.
Excellent video. I have started to relearn how to walk properly after recovering from planta fasciitis. Public schools should teach kids how to walk and run properly as part of their PE classes.
I go to high school I’m a good runner but for walking to fast my friends would say why do I walk stiffed but this video fix it. I KNOW HOW TO WALK !!!!
This is the best explanation of walking mechanics I've ever seen, thanks!!!
Great video, thank you! My newly found minimalist shoe interest lead my to try and learn more about walking, and here I came across your great tutorial today. Cheers~
Thank you very much for this video and sharing your wisdom and experiences with healthy body patterns and biomechanics. Learning to walk again in my thirties...
Also relearning to walk in my 30s. I learned to run this way, but never to walk this way and it feels so much better already.
This helped my pain to my plantar fasciitus just adjusting from my walk from my bed to the bathroom. Usually it is unbearable to get up and walk because the pain shoots up but I did this and there was no pain which really made me emotional. Do your best and thank you for the video.
I've been trying to become the best possible person I can be, and honestly, this helped a lot. I'm amazed by how something as simple as walking is messed up and leads to life-time issues. Thank you for this video. I'm appreciative of how simple things like this are messed up though, as it feels like once you know how to fix it, it's almost like opening a third eye. Life-changing really.
It will take me a lot of time and effort to learn how to walk.
For 30 years, i do not walk correctly. And now, with barefoot shoes, i can barely walk more than 30 minutes because it hurts a lot, and i have to do small steps before i learn to use them every time. But i know I'm in the right direction.
Thanks for the technique you showed in the video.
Man thanks alot for this video. I've been trying to fix my gait for a good year now. Been experiencing plantar fasciitis in the left foot lately. I pray as I start training this things will get better. God bless you man and keep going
I find this to be most correct and easy explanation how to walk correctly. But there is one thing missing. You need more slightly more flexion in the knees during the walking. walking on straighter leg doesn't utilize the shock-absorption capabilities of the knee joint.
Great instructions! thanks! I have just started 3 monthes ago to use barefoot shoes and walk barefoot outdoor a little bit everyday, (my feet and legs and my whole posture got MUCH better indeed!) and your video made things very clear... One question- when DO I use the heels and how? thanks again !
I’ve been having trouble with arch pain due to low/weak arches and a recent ankle sprain. I didn’t notice until today how I was striking the ground heel first. The way you described it, pushing off the ground to move forward rather than passively utilizing the hip flexors really helped me.
Glad to hear! The problems of walking are slightly different for everyone, I just try to give one angle of approach and hope it works for some, like it did for me.
I have 2 flat feet!.. and tight calves, my heal drops also, and pronation issues, I wear Brooks shoes 👟, they help 95%. Thanks for the heel reference, going for a 90 minute walk @9am, using these great techniques..
God-Bless You!! 🕊
Thank you for this video, simply explained. Hoping this may help with severe calf pain which has recently developed. (Coming out of lockdown I've realised that I have barely walked outdoors at all and now wearing 'real' shoes again I'd somehow got it into my head I was supposed to walk heel to toe... ) Will practice this until it feels natural again.
I found you in the comments of another video about walking. They didn't demonstrate and I didn't understand what they meant. I found your video very instructive and I understand why leading with your toes would be helpful. I also appreciate the exercise on how to improve balance. As I get older, I find my balance isn't what it used to be so I needed to see that. Thank you
Cool! What video?
Great video. Buying a pair of Vibrams and forefoot walking Ive gone from being able to walk 100 yards to being able to walk 5 miles. I’m 47 and although I’m fit from cycling and weight training I thought that wheel chair was coming because my ankles hurt so bad. All I needed to do was where barefoot shoes, forefoot strike and pick my feet up higher. It’s taken a year but I’m happier now.
Actually, I’m just going out for a walk in my Vibrams. I just wish they would make them a bit more waterproof for the winter. I have some regular zero rise trainers for wet days but nothing like the toe shoes.
Thanks again for the great video. I actually watched this a year ago and it was what convinced me to buy the vibram toe shoes. So thanks 🙏
That is excellent!! I'm glad you are able to enjoy movement. I think Vibram has water resistant versions, but I haven't tried them.
Thanks. I will take a look. What I really need are some smart minimalist shoes for work, but the vivobarefoot are to narrow.
Amazing all these trainers you can buy but nothing is better than our own feet.
wow, your post gave me so much hope. i’m 33 and i’ve been so terrified of what’s happening to me. countless x-rays -hips, ankles, pelvis, lumbar, cervical, thoracic, foot, ankle, etc. tons of physical therapy that doesn’t help when i know what’s happening isn’t right but docs just brush me off. your post gave me some light.
Thanks a lot for this great video. I am trying to improve my posture because my hip pain . All the instructions are clear and easy to follow.
Glad it was helpful!
really thank you so much. people have been making fun of me because of my walk for years. Thanks to this video, I can walk properly. thank you really heartfelt
Finally I found the best video on the subject. 100 points for demonstrating it bare footed. Another 100 for the perfect camera focus. Great explanation as well 💯
Yooooooo🤜🏾🤛🏾thank you sooooo much for making this video!!!! I been trying to figure out why I was wobbling so much when I walk, now I understand that it was my foot placement!!! ATTENTION, if your feet have very high arches don’t think a flat footed posture is for you cause you will loose balance!! Maaaaaaan I thought something was wrong with me
Glad to help!
Shoes with cushioned heels, especially thick ones, force you to heel strike and can cause more ankle pronation.
Flat flexible shoes help with more natural movements.
But my feet hurt without cushion 💔💔💔💔
The worst is that it's almost impossible to find flat shoes nowadays 😒
Really appreciate your holistic approach to adjusting walking habits!
What a wonderful video! Thank you for the info, I'm about to binge watch all your vids! Didn't know I've been walking wrong all these years, no wonder my back hurts!
Wonderful! Thanks for watching!
Thank you for stopping my flat footed walking. No more shall I be the Penguin. This video worked from my first walk. Thank you
Glad to help!
Thanks for making this video! I have been practicing this for almost a week and now I walk much better! Many, many, many thanks! :D!!!
Great to hear!
Great video. After decades of Orthotics and try various shoes I find I'm really only able to walk barefoot . Now I understand why
Thank you for making this channel! I’ve been waiting to find a channel to help me with my flat feet. Keep up this channel please!! You’re awesome!
Thanks for watching!
It eazy
Same to you but always walk and practice
This is the most easy to understand video about this. Thank you.
I echo sentiments already expressed that this is the best video on walking I've seen on RUclips to date. I think the only thing I didn't hear here that I've heard elsewhere is to try to track your knee over your middle toe while walking to keep your big toes pointing forward. With that tip and this structure, I'm walking quite differently over the last two days (I wear minimalist shoes so this is possible for me to do) and feeling way less pressure with each step and feel my hips loosening up as well. Good work, friend. Keep it up!
Christopher Webb
Please explain tracking your knee over your foot for me! I’ve been struggling for years, and I’m looking for that relief by having your body self align, which you’re describing.
THANK YOU ! FINALLY! Someone who makes SENSE!
Thanks so much for these great videos on barefoot/walking! I’m planning to walk the El Camino De Santiago in Spain (800 km) in September, and want to do as much as I can barefoot, so getting a really clear view of the actual correct walking posture and step has been incredibly helpful! I find that pretending I’m walking on a slippery surface really helps when my brain tries to revert to the ‘old style’ heal strike. :)
After watching the videos present by this gentleman, I know I have been using my body incorrectly probably for the last 70 years. For an old man I am in good physical condition except my feet. Flat feet and painful neuropathy in my left big toe has been plaguing me for a long time. Last spring I discovered barefoot walking as a habit and I have worn shoes only when necessary for protection when mowing and chainsawing and when going to town for supplies. I live in a wilderness area of northern USA which is a perfect place to go without shoes. I estimate I have been shod about twenty times in the last five months. I purchased Xero shoes and sandals to use when in town. I also have on order toe separators. I am hoping by learning from this man and continuing with what I have been doing I can improve my condition.
Dude! I've been looking for this and didn't get it. Best explanation of how to! Thank you very much!
I wrote that before finishing the video. Great idea adding the exercise in there.
Thank you for the video. very instructive. helps me walk while having a flare of plantar fasciitis. Cheers
Learned this from my father who taught me about running. He taught me to never let my heel hit the pavement when jogging. The same applies to walking.
Your dad sounds awesome!
@@toplobster1040 Thanks! He is still teaching things to this very day.
Wow, so glad you said this, as I thought I was odd for never letting my heels touch the ground even in walking. And, when I forgot how to walk for the past 8 years now, I started walking heel to toe, and, it has completely messed me up.! I was trying to follow everyone's advice online and watched how others walked! Now I realise I had always walked in the proper way.. so thanks to this amazing human and his videos.