The Gait: How To Progress In The Gait Movement

I remember a time when I was staying with my auntie in Marietta, Georgia and I wanted to go the gym while I was with her for the week. On Google Maps, it said that it was a 5 minute drive and an 1hr 30 minute walk. That did not make sense to me at all, how could the distance have such a huge gap. I decided to walk to the gym that day and realised that some areas in the USA are not people-centric. There were barely any pavements, strange back alley trails that made me very uncomfortable and a random swamp. In the end, I made it to the gym 2 hours later. That is when I realised that walking there was more dangerous than driving. On a positive note, I was able to improve my gait cycle because I had to be more aware of my surroundings.

I’m lucky to live in a place that is people-centric and not car-dominant. Not everyone is afforded that luxury. Having that experience in the USA made me realise that walking in an open space is something that I value and will never take for granted again.

What Are The Seven Functional Movements

There are seven functional movement patterns that your body performs on a daily basis in everyday activities. Each of these movement patterns are unique and teach us something different about the movement. These movements include: squat, hip hinge, lunge, push, pull, gait, rotation and the bonus, the hip thrust.

You may not realise that walking and running are patterns that our bodies were designed to perform on a daily basis. Your strides, foot placements and pelvis stability are connected to training your walking pattern correctly. Altogether, these movements target all the muscle groups and optimises your body to perform and function at its best. Everything that you do in the gym mimics patterns that you do outside of the gym unconsciously. Moreover, once you start to change your perspective and see exercises as movement patterns, you’ll realise that there are multiple exercises that fall under the umbrella of the hip hinge or the pull. Then, you will be able to design a training programme that connects your upper and lower body in a way that is beneficial to your goals.

Check Out Pinterest Functional Movement Series

What Is The Gait Movement

The Gait is one of the seven functional movement patterns and the most underrated one. Essentially, it is our walking pattern as humans. Something that we do the most, and is a part of every other single pattern. The aim of this movement is to stabilise your pelvis, strengthen your core and help you to walk correctly. For those of you who choose not to re-rack your weights, you’re missing out on opportunities to reinforce the strength of your gait.

Why Is The Gait Most Underrated Movement

We all know that strength training is beneficial to everyone regardless of age, especially as we get older. However, there is one type of exercise that is severely underrated. I believe that it is underrated due to our sedentary nature. Walking (the gait) is the most underrated movement pattern. A majority of people do not see the benefit of it because it is a considered a fairly easy thing to do. Firstly, it is safe and effective for people recovering from an illness or an injury. Secondly, it improves and strengthens the bones and muscles in the body. In addition, that leads to the improvement of your heart rate, delivery of oxygen within the body, boosts your mood, increases your confidence and self-esteem, the improvement of sleep quality and the reduction of depression.

If it’s that simple, then why don’t people do it more often? That’s a good question. There are some areas that are car-dominated and not people-centric. Other reasons include that some people do not see walking as exercise but a form of transport. As I mentioned in my first point about not being people-centric, it means that it is far more dangerous for people to walk, so driving is the safer option. You may have to drive to a metropolitan area to find a park or spaces with walkable pavements to walk. In short, it is not impossible to not include walking as a workout.

How To Efficiently Progress In The Gait

Walk More

This is going to sound very simple: walk more. Finding time to walk is one reason that most people do not do it often. Walking is a simple exercise that you do at any time and at any place. For example if you work from home or in an office, plan to spend half of your lunch break going for a walk. It could be outdoors or walking up and down the building stairs. Getting up from your desk once a hour for 5 minutes to stroll and stretch your muscles out counts! Remember that any movement is better than nothing.

Moreover, make it into a challenge where you want to improve your step count over time. Key phrase: over time. Start small and slowly build up your step count. Plan your walking workout in intervals and ahead of time. Treat it like a workout and get walking outfits to boost your confidence more.

Arm Swings To Improve The Gait

Another method that is done unconsciously for some is swinging your arms as you walk. Arm swings act as a visual sign to your body that there is space around you and that that side of your body is stable. When you are moving forward while walking, your body needs to use its peripheral vision to sense what is behind you. This allows your body to realise that it is moving in a space where it can make effectively make contact with ground easily without overusing certain muscle groups. Essentially, the awareness of your arm swings strengthens your movement of shifting side-to-side seamlessly.

Now let’s get into three weighted exercises that can efficiently progress the gait.

Farmer Carry

Farmer carry is a movement that involves holding a weight in each hand and walking for a distance or a period of time. It targets and strengthens all the muscles in the body as well as improving grip strength. To use this exercise to improve your gait, try working on balance by walking on a straight line. You will learn how to engage your core and prevent lower back injury as well as strengthen pelvis stability.

Zercher Carry

Zercher carry is a movement that enhances all the other functional movements with a loaded carry. It’s an exercise that you rarely see in gyms. It involves holding the weight in the pits of your elbows while walking for a distance or a period of time. For the gait, it build strength, stability and anti-flexion and the upper body muscles to improve overall posture.

Overhead Carry

Overhead carry is a movement that involves holding the weight above your head. It reinforces joint integrity, build stronger shoulders and overhead strength. Again, like the other two exercises, you will be walking for a distance or a period of time. It is another way to challenge yourself to stay balanced and increase your general stability.

Final Thoughts

Most people don’t realise the benefits of walking and that is why training the gait is the most underrated functional movement. In the last year, we have seen a rise of running and hiking clubs. More people are searching for a community. If you are enjoying walking and are searching for a community, why not create a walking club in your area? You will be able to meet and connect with like-minded people and walk more.

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I hope that this post has made you reconsider training your gait and has given you some insight in how to do that. I hope that you go into this week continuing to build your confidence through fitness and beyond! Make sure to hit that subscribe button to join the community and never miss out on a post. Find me on Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok for more powerlifting and wellness content.

Until next time,

Folakemi