The Mobility Blog Part 2-How to Move Better, Get Stronger And Walk Longer

Do this simple 5 Day Exercise, five times in a row slowly, five times a day, for five days in a row to increase your balance, stability and upright posture when walking. By the end of the fifth day you'll understand how to align and position your head and neck while walking allowing you to move better, get stronger, walk longer and engage your core muscles.  

• Do the exercise in the morning. At or around noon, midafternoon, before or after dinner and before going to sleep. If you skip a day or you don’t do the exercise 5 times in a row slowly, 5 times a day for five consecutive you need to start the 5 days over.
• Sit in a chair. Make sure your spine is supported by either a pillow placed behind your back or you’re sitting in a chair that supports your spine with your head upright and centered over your shoulders.
• Start the exercise with your head upright and your line of sight straight ahead.
• Place a light book or notebook on top of your head so that it stays in place on top of your head without falling.

• Feel how your head and neck are aligned and positioned when the book is on your head. 
• Slowly drop your chin towards your chest until the book or notebook falls in your lap.
• Feel how straight the back of your neck is. Notice how your head is now positioned downward in front of the rest of your body and that the size of your visual field is now a fraction of what it was when your head was upright with your line of sight ahead of you towards the ground.

  When you walk looking down at the ground in front of your feet your head becomes positioned in front of the rest of your body. Your walking stride becomes smaller and less stable, your spine loses alignment and you increase your risk of falling. Looking down at the ground towards your feet not only stops your head and the rest of your body from maintaining its natural alignment it causes your visual field to become so small that unless something is right in front of your toes you won't see it or have enough time to safely step over or around it. Read Part 1 of the Mobility Blog to understand why it's important to walk with your head up and your line of sight towards the ground ahead of you the way you drive your car or ride a bike instead of towards your feet.

The only time you should look directly down towards the ground at your feet when walking is when you're on the stars, in the dark, on a wet or slippery surface, an uneven surface, sitting down, standing up or when stepping over or around something. You can glance down when walking without dropping your head down and see almost up to your toes. 

  When you walk with your head upright and centered over your shoulders.  With your line of sight towards the ground ahead of you the way you drive a car or ride a bike your body has more balance and your feet can contact the ground from heel to toe and engage your core muscles. Your arms can swing forward and backward as you walk increasing your body's stability and helping to maintain the natural alignment of the spine.  Your weight is more evenly distributed over your hip, knee, ankle joints and feet. You look younger and feel younger because you're moving your body the way it was designed to be aligned and moved to maintain a strong core and upright posture.

People who practice Tai Chi, martial arts, Qigong, yoga, and Ballroom Dancing maintain upright posture and their body’s alignment as they age. They move better, stay stronger and walk longer than other people their age. They fall less and have better long-term outcomes when they have an injury. It’s not their genes or a special diet that allows them to stay upright, walk longer and have better long-term outcomes. It’s how they move and the way they move all day every day that makes the difference. They’re easy to spot in a crowd because they keep their head upright and aligned and centered over their shoulders. Their feet contact the ground from heel to toe and their arms swing forward and backward as they walk.  The only time they look down towards their feet when walking is when they're on the stairs, in the dark, on a wet or slippery surface, sitting down, standing up or when making a transition from on surface height to another. 

Watch the video below of 99 year old Dinkie Flowers. Notice how stable , upright and flexible she is when she walks, turns and bends. 

https://youtu.be/v60FkXqHcQY?si=acAy4uTAtFCaTU7n

Drive your body the way you drive your car. Head upright and with your line of sight ahead of you towards the ground to see everything in your path, reduce your risk of falling and increase your body's balance, stability, core strength and alignment.

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