Almost everyone walks. Even the most sedentary person walks a couple of thousand steps a day.
The average person walks in the 5,000-8,000 step range.
The recommended number to shoot for is 10,000 steps a day. I have seen it reported that the Amish walk 25,000 to 30,000 steps a day, and having yet to pass 25,000 in a day, I find it unfathomable to do so regularly.
But all of these numbers are meaningless when it comes to the quality of steps that someone takes.
In the world of walking, you want both quantity and quality. Most people don’t get both if they are even getting one.
After about a year of life, give or take a few months, everyone stands up and takes their first few steps without assistance.
At that point, the cameras flash, parents cheer and children are left to their own devices in an attempt to figure out how to walk correctly.
Unfortunately, they usually learn by imitating their parents who also never learned how to walk correctly.
There is a design to the way we move.
The foot is meant to fall in a particular pattern directly under the hip.
The body is meant to lean imperceptibly forward in space rather than leaning slightly backwards as most people do.
The head is supposed to be level with the ears in line with the shoulders and the rest of the skeleton.
Learning to walk, or relearning to walk correctly can have far-reaching benefits for everyone.
Whether to heal chronic aches and pains, improve athletic performance, or simply find better posture and muscle tone—any effort will pay big dividends.
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