Practice Good Walking Form

Quick Win

Good alignment and posture make walking more comfortable. Practice indoors today — then you’ll be ready to take it on the road.

Try This Today

1. Standing in front of a mirror, stretch your spine upward, rather than slouching or arching. Roll your shoulders forward and up, then relax them down. Make sure your chin is parallel to the floor and your ears are even with shoulders.
2. Engage your core. Contract your stomach muscles slightly, but be sure you can still take deep breaths. This important move can help prevent slouching and protect your lower back. Your pelvis should be neutral, not tucked under or tipped forward.
3. Do a test run. Maintaining this posture, walk around your home. Look ahead, and let your arms swing freely from your shoulders, with a slight bend. Your back, shoulders and neck should feel relaxed. With each step, roll from heel to toe.

Why

Walking for exercise supports good health in myriad ways, and maintaining good form can help you get the most out of it while avoiding back or neck pain. Walking in an upright posture, rather than slouching, may even help improve mood and the way the body responds to stress, according to a study involving 73 adults published in 2018 in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental