Alignment and walking

Posture. It’s what people think of when I tell them that I work on improving the alignments of people I see. Except that posture is associated with static holding whereas alignment is a dynamic process. Alignment changes with simple things like breathing.  It is alive. It is alignment in movement.

What many people do not realise is that alignment has more to do with function than aesthetics.

Alignment is technique for using and inhabiting your own body. Just like there are techniques for exercise there are also techniques for standing, sitting and walking.

Just look at people who are not doing these activities well to realise that there is technique to everything.

But basic standing and sitting alignments do not stop there. They are the foundation upon which movement is based.
Tai chi practitioners have known this for a long time.

Then when you want to move it becomes smoother, more efficient and easier on the joints.

And the simplest moving practice is walking.

Zen Buddhists knew this. They practice sitting and walking formally.

To practice mere standing posture without any carryover would be a limited exercise. That is where walking comes into the picture.

Even some more modern bodyworkers understand this.

Walking can be the easiest way to strengthen and stretch out the body dynamically.

Get to it.

Walking

What is the simplest and cheapest way to improve your health and wellbeing?

Yes, it’s bodyweight. Yes, most do a little every day. Yes, you could do more.

Yes, it’s walking.

It’s a weight bearing exercise.

And it is about as functional an activity as you can get.

Especially as we age.

The two biggest things restricting independence in older adults are the ability to get in and out of chairs and the ability to walk unassisted.

And it is easy to regress and progress too. Distance, speed, volume, incline, surface conditions.

Of course you can also weight it. Backpacks and other weights on the body.

And if you get bored, go for a walk with a friend or loved one.

10 000 steps a day is a good guide as a minimum, a starting point and shouldn’t be too much effort.

It is relaxing, restorative and can also be used to build up both leg strength and cardiovascular fitness.

And for those thinking of taking up running, I would like to urge you to consider the old adage of “walk before you run.”

But walking doesn’t have to be onerous.

Even the simple act of getting up every hour, half hour or commercial break to walk for a minute or two can be of benefit. It’s healthier for you than consuming more caffeine or sugar.

Try taking the stairs or parking the car a little bit further away. Replacing short drives with walking.

Physical activity is cumulative and best spread out over the course of the day. It’s much easier to do a little bit here, a little bit there without having to take a lot of time out of your schedule. You wouldn’t only eat once a day right?

Incidental physical activity is a great way to break up sedentary time. Keep the engine running.

A short walk in the morning is also a great way to wake up.

An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
~ Henry David Thoreau

And a gentle walk after a meal can aid digestion by stimulating movement in the internal organs.

Or conversely, help you unwind after a long day.

It can also help you focus when your attention wanders. It is no coincidence that there are walking meditation practices.

Depending on the details, walking can be used to achieve any and all of these outcomes.

So what are you waiting for?

Every step counts.

Bodyweight training

Following on from the previous post, let’s have a look at your options when it comes to bodyweight training.

The most common answers would be pushups and squats if I asked someone what training they could do with just their own bodies.

That is good but there is also a lot more you could do.

Like what?

How about getting up and down off the floor? And walking? If they are not functional and natural movements we should be practicing then I don’t know what is.

Crawling, rolling, jumping, hopping, skipping, marching, lunging and running. Just a few ideas.

If you add in a bar you could add in some hanging and pullups. Climbing and gymnastics. Want me to go on?

Of course there are other things too like yoga, tai chi, dancing if you are after systems.

So what’s your excuse?

Get to it.

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are

Training doesn’t have to involve going to the gym or any other facility. As some people say, “everything is training.” Or can be. I agree. But for most people that is difficult.

But there is always something you can do.

Do what you can.
Space isn’t really an issue. Just watch any prison movie where inmates train in their cells. If you space to stand or sit you can train. 1m x 1m is enough.

With what you have.
If you have tools, you can use them. Dumbbells,  kettlebells, barbells. Other tools, doesn’t matter. But who carries weights around with them during the day?  However, you can use your own body to train.  It’s free. Functional. And always there.

Where you are.
Back to the above points, training is about adaptability as life is. That is functional. Because real world objects don’t look much like the weights you find in gyms.

Some people call this bodyweight training or calisthenics. Just a name.
It’s just movement.
Practicing and learning to use your own body.

So there you have it.
Simple, accessible and effective.
The way good training should be.