Fitness
An uneven gait can have a bigger impact on your body than you might realize.
Walkingis the easiest thing you could do.
All it involves is putting one foot in front of the other.
Luckily, this is something it’s possible for you to check right on your iPhone.
Why Walking Symmetry Is Important
Chances are you walk a lot throughout the day.
Asymmetrical walking canlead to pain anywhere in the body, Conroy says.
Anytime your foot hits the ground, it leads to a chain reaction all the way up.
The lack of balance in your gait can also lead to other types of issues.
But if you have two equally strong legs, youll be more likely to catch yourself.
Additionally, having an asymmetrical gait canmake you less efficient when you walk or run, she says.
Then theres your posture.
McSorley says anuneven gaitcan impacthow straight you stand or how easy it is to remain upright.
Heres what the experts recommend.
Keep Your Feet Parallel
Want to lower your walking asymmetry score?
According to McSorley, one of the simplest tricks is to pay more attention to your feet.
The goal is to keep them parallel, even when youre standing.
If you arent sure if your feet are pointing forward, walk towards a mirror.
This might help you catch problems and address them before they develop further, she says.
Every time you see your feet pointing out or in, adjust again so that theyre parallel.
Do both legs raise to an equal height or is one side lower/tighter than the other?
If so, thats the side you want to focus on loosening up.
You will be able to tell almost immediately which side is weaker.
you might also do lunges.
Lungesspecifically target the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves, McSorley says.
Start with your weaker side.
They might even suggest that you use shoe inserts to address any leg differences or imbalances.
Studies referenced:
Aminiaghdam, S. (2016).
J Orthop Surg Res.
Franettovich M, Hides J, Mendis MD, et al.
Muscle imbalance among elite athletes.
British Journal of Sports Medicine 2011;45:348-349.
Kruijf, M. (2015).
Chronic joint pain in the lower body is associated with gait differences independent from radiographic osteoarthritis.
PMID: 26210905 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2015.06.193
Laroche, DP.
Strength asymmetry increases gait asymmetry and variability in older women.
Med Sci Sports Exerc.
Ramakrishnan, T. (2018).
Comparing gait with multiple physical asymmetries using Consolidated Metrics.Frontiers in Neurorobotics,12.https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbot.2018.00002
Sliwowski, R. (2014).
doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2022-001322
Zahraee, M. H. (2013).
