The Body's Weakest Link?

scheherazade said:
Here is a good slow motion analysis of the motion of heel strike running compared to proper running technique.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrOgDCZ4GUo&feature=related

My chief complaint with winter in this climate IS the heavier footwear required by the extreme cold. During the snow free months I feel so 'liberated' in comparison and I have discovered neoprene waterproof boots as the ultimate light-weight footwear for use around the farm and garden.
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Great running instruction, but doesn't work well for walking.
 
*nods* I actually prefer to go barefoot... it's strange how quickly you can adapt to going barefoot, even in the snow. One thing I HAVEN'T been able to overcome easily, though, is how TRASHY the Harrisburg area is... so much trash and glass everywhere... not much can prepare you for that, and there isn't much to do about it except be observant.

But yeah, shoes make walking such a CHORE on the body.
 
Kittamaru said:
*nods* I actually prefer to go barefoot... it's strange how quickly you can adapt to going barefoot, even in the snow. One thing I HAVEN'T been able to overcome easily, though, is how TRASHY the Harrisburg area is... so much trash and glass everywhere... not much can prepare you for that, and there isn't much to do about it except be observant.

But yeah, shoes make walking such a CHORE on the body.
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Some light weight sandals are almost as good as being barefoot without the disadvantage of having no protection from the trashy environment. But even getting used to sandals makes it hard to put shoes on again.:D
 
KilljoyKlown said:
Some light weight sandals are almost as good as being barefoot without the disadvantage of having no protection from the trashy environment. But even getting used to sandals makes it hard to put shoes on again.:D
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Sadly nowhere around here seems to have decent sandals - best I've seen are flip-flops and, well, they just hurt after a while... it's like strapping a piece of plastic to your feet :shrug:
 
Kittamaru said:
Sadly nowhere around here seems to have decent sandals - best I've seen are flip-flops and, well, they just hurt after a while... it's like strapping a piece of plastic to your feet :shrug:
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The last pair I bought off the Internet after a few minutes of browsing. They were just what I wanted and they lasted me about 5 years. Make sure you get the ones that have Velcro connecting straps for comfort and easy use. For durability hiking sandals are nice. If you can afford it the ones over $100 are really worth it.
 
I walk pretty much the same motion as running, just with less "spring" and force - since starting that, it's helped reduce the tension in my back a LOT and my back spasms have stopped almost completely.
 
Kittamaru said:
I walk pretty much the same motion as running, just with less "spring" and force - since starting that, it's helped reduce the tension in my back a LOT and my back spasms have stopped almost completely.
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Likewise.

Unlike horses, which have completely different ways of moving at different speeds, we still put one foot in front of the other whether we are walking, jogging or running.

Our joints flex for a reason. They both absorb and redirect energy when we use them properly. :)
 
*nods* it's odd how much more energy you have when walking/running properly... as well as how much more nimble you are!
 
I did not post a link to race walking because it does not strike me as a natural gait for our species. It is a very exaggerated way of going. :bugeye:
 
scheherazade said:
I did not post a link to race walking because it does not strike me as a natural gait for our species. It is a very exaggerated way of going. :bugeye:
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Maybe, however it does define the difference between walking and running. They are two separate modes of human movement. Typically with walking you set the heel down without jarring the bones, so it's not much of a health issue that running can be. I would say if you are not putting your heel down first, you are not walking. Possibly running very slowly?:D
 
KilljoyKlown said:
Maybe, however it does define the difference between walking and running. They are two separate modes of human movement. Typically with walking you set the heel down without jarring the bones, so it's not much of a health issue that running can be. I would say if you are not putting your heel down first, you are not walking. Possibly running very slowly?:D
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It's all 'controlled falling', depending on how one looks at it. ;)

This reminds me of the debates among horsemen on how best to shoe a horse or whether a horse is better off without shoes. I'm of the bare hoof persuasion myself, except where special circumstances may be involved, as in very rocky terrain or when the weather has been wet for a long time, making the soles of the hooves quite soft and subject to bruising.

The whole of the human foot serves a purpose, IMO, and it depends on the terrain and our length of stride whether we will land heel, toe, ball of foot or flat-footed.

Neither my horses nor myself have ever blown a shift for lameness so I reckon we must be moving fairly close to correct. :D

http://www.isnhcp.net/News---Articles.html
 
scheherazade said:
It's all 'controlled falling', depending on how one looks at it. ;)

This reminds me of the debates among horsemen on how best to shoe a horse or whether a horse is better off without shoes. I'm of the bare hoof persuasion myself, except where special circumstances may be involved, as in very rocky terrain or when the weather has been wet for a long time, making the soles of the hooves quite soft and subject to bruising.

The whole of the human foot serves a purpose, IMO, and it depends on the terrain and our length of stride whether we will land heel, toe, ball of foot or flat-footed.

Neither my horses nor myself have ever blown a shift for lameness so I reckon we must be moving fairly close to correct. :D

http://www.isnhcp.net/News---Articles.html
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I'm always for whatever works. But I'm just saying if your not putting your heel down first, it's not walking by definition.

As far as horses go, you will forever know more than I will. So what do you know about non steel hoof ware?
 
WALK
1.
to advance or travel on foot at a moderate speed or pace; proceed by steps; move by advancing the feet alternately so that there is always one foot on the ground in bipedal locomotion and two or more feet on the ground in quadrupedal locomotion.
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Most definitions do not specify heel or toe first, so who's definition should apply?

Speed walking is a sport, so I'm not accepting that one. :D
 
scheherazade said:
Most definitions do not specify heel or toe first, so who's definition should apply?

Speed walking is a sport, so I'm not accepting that one. :D
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Yes it is a sport that has very clear rules as what separates walking from other forms of locomotion. Start putting your toe down first and you will be disqualified as a runner. Anyway, I wonder what type of shoes they ware and how do they customize them to make that type of walking bearable.
 
KilljoyKlown said:
Yes it is a sport that has very clear rules as what separates walking from other forms of locomotion. Start putting your toe down first and you will be disqualified as a runner. Anyway, I wonder what type of shoes they ware and how do they customize them to make that type of walking bearable.
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There seems to be only two rules governing this event and footwear is not one of them. :D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racewalking

I expect that footwear is variable between runners and the course to be raced. :shrug:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/237555-the-best-walking-shoes-for-racing/
 
KilljoyKlown said:
If you have ever tried to race walk for even a short distance, the thought of that 50 kilometer walk freaks me out.:D
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Now there's something we can completely agree on!

I do not doubt that I could walk 50 kilometers but it sure as blazes would not be in 'race walking' form. :eek:
 
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