How to Walk Correctly and 4 Common Mistakes - IMPROVE YOUR WALKING AND POSTURE!

Walking is easy, right? Walking correctly, not so much! I hate to break it to you but the chances are you are walking incorrectly.
Knowing how to walk properly is important. It translates to being perceived as more confident, more assertive and let’s be honest, having more self-esteem. Walking style is unique to all of us, each person walks differently however, I see so many mistakes due to poor habits, high heels, running shoes and bad posture that leads to a lot of problems at the major joints and with muscular imbalances.
Become conscious of how you walk and portray confidence and assertiveness by fixing your walking mistakes.
Subscribe for free exercises and nutrition and fitness tips!

Mistake 1: Duck Feet 1:00
Mistake 2: Flat Feet 1:29
Mistake 3: Banana Knees 2:45
Mistake 4: Knocked Knees 3:43
How to Walk Correctly: 4:40
Foot Position: 4:43
Knee Position: 5:08
Heel Postion 5:40
TIPS: Forward Lean 7:04
TIPS: Engage Back-Leg Glute 7:17
TIPS: Trunk Rotation / Arm Swing 7:43
TIPS: Look ahead 10-20m 8:04

4 Common Mistakes:

1: Duck Feet: : Feet are pointing out. Can lead to major issues in the ankles, knee, hips and lower back.

2: Flat Feet: Loss of the arch - Can result in less balance, more stiffness, pain when exercising, issues with the knees and hips.

3: Banana Knees [overstriding]: Hyperextended knees as a result of over-striding noticed by a hard hitting heel strike to the ground. Leads to underactive quads and glutes whilst the hamstrings become overactive.

4: Knocked Knees: Knees cave inward towards the mid line of the body. Causes issues to the feet [loss of arch], lower legs [bone turns outwards] and hips [hip rolls/ moves inwards]. Leads to knee cap problems, ligament damage and premature arthritis.

How is your walking pattern?

Leave a comment!
...
Follow Us!

Generation Strength is run by Gemma Schofield, a Certified Personal Trainer and Strength Coach. My main mission is to bring strength training to women using science-based programming, posture assessments, nutritional knowledge and teaching how to create good habits that actually stick.
...

[jethrobradley]

This is easily the clearest of the many 'How to walk' videos on YouTube. Your explanations and demos of common mistakes are really useful too.

[michellelangdon]

Oh wow! I'm hyper mobile and I've never had anyone address walking properly! I'm actually a "Banana Duck" to be honest. I have fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, arthritis, lupus, yeah! So you can imagine how much my joints hurt! I feel like an old lady! I'm going to start using your tip immediately. Thank you! I really can't thank you enough for making this video! 😊☮️

[hummiebubs]

Lots of different opinions out there on how to walk "correctly." I have found that striking the forefoot or midfoot first has helped my knee pain. Heel striking can hurt the knees.

[JD_]

Where was this lady 40 yrs ago when I needed her? Thank you for the lesson. Always knew something was wrong with my walk. Wear out inside heels of my soles. I'm banana legged. Now I can work on improvement.

[ankitasharma]

This is the best vdo i have seen... people make fun of my way of walking, i knew that I don't walk properly but i was unable to find mistake in my walk...now i understand what's wrong with my walk!

[kimazz]

Thank you. I am 68 years old and realized that I have banana knees. The past few weeks I've been trying to improve my walk but I wasn't sure how to improve it until I watched your video. Very helpful thank you so much

[aaarif]

Thanks a lot for explaining with after effects of walking in wrong way
I followed the wrong method of keeping knees straight and longer stride plus sway back posture causing knee shock and sacrilo ilieac joint inflammation and recently aggravated pain in SI joint since 4 or 5 weeks
My body managed to adjust my mistakes till I was 51 but now it couldn't
So, I thought there is something quite wrong I could be doing and I doubted my stride and Ankle touching first as reasons.
After some research I found that there is an opinion to walk by pushing with back foot toes to move forward plus shoulder sway.
All these basic errors happened as I had to walk a mile daily to school by supporting a 5 kg bag belt on head resulting in arrest of shoulder sway, longer stride and sway back.

All my doubts had been proved correct and gave correct suggestions, but now training myself to consciously change bad habits means retraining on every step and walking at reduced pace but correctly
Thanks to you and also others who posted on this topic and helping out

[suej]

This is so helpful with a visual demonstration of the problem areas. This was fantastic. Thank you so much.

[ivormectin]

As a fitness professional I do not understand why the government is not doing something about encouraging children to learn how to walk properly in their early years. The incidence of obesity is directly related to that of valgus knee. The cost to our health services for treatment of obesity-related conditions would be slashed if people entered adulthood with proper orthopaedics & musculature

[manoharbajaj]

Am eighty years old, have no cartilage in both knees.I review your video from time to time to improve my walking. Thank you for your tips.

[RohitRoy-muit]

By far, one of the best videos on this topic.

[jamesbond]

I really enjoyed your presentation. I am a bit self conscious about walking and your explanation clarified an aspect of walking I definitely had wrong. The slight tilt forward makes so much more sense now. I was always told through my school days to have my back straight up and erect. It might look good but it is definitely not functional. Thank you so much from Canada!! Looks lovely wherever you filmed

[mattcrawford]

Amazing. I’ve recently run into a knee issue.

While recovering & getting strength back …. I can’t believe how much I was actually doing wrong with just walking!

This helps a lot!

Now I see a lot of other people walking incorrectly as well.

Maybe there should be a walking 101 class in elementary school 😂

[stephanygates]

Duck feet also pinches the lower spine, predisposing to sciatica. Very helpful information! It took me decades to overcome duck feet, and I just figured out my flat feet causing foot pain every night.

[ClassicFormulaOne]

Amazing. 40-year old here with ankle and knee injuries for the last 10 years. Never realized how I walked was bad.
Greetings from the Netherlands

[johncourt]

A great video, you've shown me there's a lot more to walking, than just putting one foot in front of the other. I'm looking forward to a whole new me!

[hafsaarsalan]

Awww love you for making this video i walked wrong all my life and my family was making fun of my walk but now i know what was wrong with my walk i definitely improve it ❤

[OutrageIsNow]

I have all of the mistakes but only on my right side. It's gotten better since I started strengthening and mobilizing my hips and tibialis. Have to release my gastroc and soleus daily. It's not perfect but it is getting better.

Buying a pair of Altra Lone Peaks helped me so much. Although any barefoot shoe will help, I love my Altras.

[rchlletters]

Its worth mentioning some people land on their toes or mid foot. Also be sure to lift your sternum up and drop your shoulders 😉 remember you don’t lead with your upper body, you lead with your “middle” which is why you must lift it up! I still think dance is the best way to learn posture 🤍

[purpurina]

I have some lordosis and an extremely high arch, so I used to stick my bum out and tilt my ankles in for stability, which brought in my knees too. Pilates has helped A LOT. The feet position they consider correct is very slightly outward (think of a pizza slice wedged between your front feet), so that the thighs and glut are engaged. Also, keep your tummy softly pushed in while you lower your shoulders and open your chest. That takes care of the upper body.