Healthier Walking Posture to Reduce Neck/back Pain

HEALTHIER WALKING POSTURE TO REDUCE NECK/BACK PAIN

FOCUS ON WALKING 

Walking provides you with your most basic form of transportation. It is one of the safest and most effective ways to exercise the entire body. If your neck or back pain is currently aggravated by walking, your pain may be reduced if you control some of the factors addressed in this . This  describes problem walking patterns (bad moves), and healthier walking patterns (good moves). 

STANDING REFLECTS ON WALKING 

In general, your standing posture will be similar to the posture you exhibit while walking. For example, if you exhibit an increased low-back arch and/or forward-head posture while standing still, these imbalances will usually be present when you walk as well. If you tend to hold yourself tensely while standing still, your walking will also tend to reflect this tension. if you slump while standing, you will exhibit the same poor alignment when walking.Therefore, it is important for you to become aware of your postural tendencies and to follow the specific recommendations already made in the “focus on standing” section. 

Once you are able to subtly change some of these tendencies while standing still (by performing postural adjustment exercises), it is a simple matter of continuing these and similar adjustment while walking.If you recognize any of the problem walking patterns as being similar to your own, attempt the adjustments recommended. 

Use the postural adjustment,breathing and imaginary tips for short periods of time (10 seconds- 1 minute)during your daily activities that include walking.

REPLACE PROBLEM WALKING PATTERNS WITH HEALTHIER WALKING PATTERNS 

BAD MOVE: increased low back arch while walking An increased forward arch of the low back, along with a stretched-out lower abdomen, will cause the water in the pelvic basin to spill out the front as you walk. This alignment will typically aggravate low back pain. In this alignment you tend to walk with your abdomen leading out in front.

GOOD MOVE: leveling the pelvis Imagine that there is a pulley attached to the front brim of your pelvis that goes up toward the ceiling. As you walk, imagine that the upward lift of this pulley is maintaining the front brim of your pelvis up and level with the back brim. The water in the pelvic bowl stays level from front to back. Allow this image to help maintain your pelvis and low back in a stable position as you continue walking.