Joint strengthening 'walking exercise' proper walking posture

Joint strengthening 'walking exercise'… There is a proper way to walk.

 

To maintain joint health, you must maintain proper walking posture / Photo = Health Chosun DB

Starting from your 40s and 50s, joint aging begins, naturally weakening the joints and surrounding muscles. Even with slight exercise, fatigue, pain, and stiffness can easily occur. At this time, caution should be taken regarding degenerative arthritis. Especially for middle-aged women, the risk of degenerative arthritis increases sharply. This is because, during menopause, female hormone levels decrease, increasing the risk of osteoporosis, and the body's ability to break down fat diminishes, making it easier to gain weight. For every 1 kg of weight gain, the pressure on the knees increases by more than 3 kg. Consistent aerobic and flexibility exercises that do not strain the joints are necessary. Regular, light walking exercises are effective. Director Kang Ji-ho of Yonsei Barun Hospital said, "Since middle-aged and older adults are at the stage where joint aging begins in earnest, they need to be aware of and manage joint diseases that can occur at their age to maintain health."

 

Director Ha Dong-won of Yonsei Bareun Hospital said, "For patients suffering from spinal diseases, simply correcting their posture can help alleviate symptoms," and added, "It is advisable to first accurately assess one's gait, posture, and physical condition, then continuously correct and habitualize these changes." Let's learn about proper postures for different situations that help maintain joint health.

 

Walking posture = Avoid bow-legged walking. When both feet are spread more than 15 degrees apart (with the ends of both feet forming a fan shape), it is considered bow-legged walking. Because the legs tend to walk outward continuously, this increases the strain on the knees and can lead to degenerative arthritis. Conversely, walking with the feet turned inward about 15 degrees is called pigeon-toed walking. Pigeon-toed walking also puts stress on the inner cartilage of the knees and can develop into degenerative arthritis. It is also important to keep the chest, back, and shoulders straight so that the body and the ground form a right angle. The gaze should be directed forward with a feeling of pulling the chin inward. Arm movement is also important. The arms should form an L or V shape and swing naturally back and forth while walking, preventing excessive tension in the front muscles of the arms. The center of gravity should shift from the heels to the soles of the feet, and then to the big toes, to ensure proper contraction and relaxation of the calf and thigh muscles. The most stable stride length is generally about 100 cm less than one's height.

 

Sitting posture = Sitting cross-legged puts strain on the spine. Forcing the pelvis and lumbar spine to rotate causes stress on the lower back and also leads to leg misalignment. For example, if you cross your right leg, the right pelvis rises, causing the body's center of gravity to tilt to the left, which can distort the spine and legs. The shoulders and shoulder blades should be aligned in a straight line with the ears as a reference. To achieve this, naturally straighten your back and pull your neck backward to draw a straight line through the center of the ears. It is recommended to choose a chair with a backrest and sit deeply so that the hips are pressed against the backrest. When working at a desk, pull the chair close so that the stomach touches the desk.

 

Standing posture = Do not cross your legs when standing. This can cause imbalance in the pelvis, leading to back pain and joint pain. Be careful to keep your head, chest, and hips in a straight line so that your body's center of gravity does not tilt. This helps to efficiently distribute the load on the spine that supports the weight of the head. When standing for a long time, it is good to change your posture every 30 minutes. Prepare a footrest and alternate placing one foot on it, continuously shifting your center of gravity to avoid putting strain on the spine or knees.

 

◇ Muscle strengthening exercises for proper posture

To walk with proper posture and maintain body balance, regularly strengthening the relevant muscles is very helpful. Here are two representative muscle strengthening exercises.

 

▷ Leg and hip muscle strengthening exercises = Be careful to keep the pelvis level on both sides and stand on one foot. At this time, ensure that the glute muscles of the supporting leg are engaged properly. If difficult, it is also good to hold onto a wall with one hand while performing the exercise. Strengthens the glute muscles and improves body balance ability.

 

▷ Spinal and lower body muscle strengthening exercises = Squat posture is helpful. Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart, breathe in, and gradually bend your knees so that they do not go past your toes. At this time, sit down with the feeling of stretching your hips as much as possible, and extend your hands straight out to eye level. Above all, it is important to tighten your lower back and abdomen to keep your spine straight. This exercise strengthens the erector spinae and trains the lower body muscles.

 

 

Depending on how you walk, which muscles are stimulated varies.

I checked once. I go for walks often, so I will observe and learn the correct posture.