Want more stability, NOW?

Try this...

While walking or running running (or watching a client walk, amble or run) you may be thinking  “I need to do something to improve my (their) proprioception, or they are going to fall (again)” If you were to increase your (their) surface area, and make yourself (theirself)vless top heavy, I (they) would be more stable. How can we accomplish that?

Here is what you can do:

First, spread your toes.; why not maximize the real estate available to your feet?

Next,  widen your stance (or base of gait). Spreading your weight over a larger surface area would be more stable and provide stability.

Third, raise your arms out from your sides (no don't try to fly) to provide more input from your upper extremities to your proprioceptive system (more input from peripheral joint and muscle mechanoreceptors = more input to cerebellum = better balance)

Lastly, Slow down from your blistering pace. this will give your (aging) nervous system more time to react.

All these actions were all “primitive” reactions of the nervous system when learning to walk. We did a post on that when my youngest son was learning to walk.

Want to have better balance?

• Spread your toes
• Widen your stance
• Raise your arms
• Slow down

Notice I didn’t say this would make you faster. Who is more likely to fall on a corner when being chased by a predator; the tortoise or the hare?

A little practical neurology for you this morning brought to you by the geeks of gait. Ivo and Shawn.