The Way You Walk Is Either Healing You or Hurting You

You’re walking wrong. I know that sounds ridiculous, but hear me out. Most people are bracing their core, trying to stay upright, and still walking out of balance. What does that lead to? Chronic pain, tightness, and injuries that seem to come out of nowhere. There’s even a name for it: sagittis. It’s that locked-up, stiff, overly braced way of moving that robs you of fluidity and balance. What you actually want is to move like a big cat. Poised, agile, and centered.

Textbooks will tell you walking is a series of controlled falls. That may be technically true, but it’s the wrong mindset. It’s a way of managing dysfunction instead of preventing it. You don’t want to fall and catch yourself. You want to move in such a way that you’re never out of balance in the first place. Watch the way elite athletes move. They’re never stumbling into each step. They’re transitioning from one moment of balance to the next with grace and confidence.

Every step is a rep. That idea changed my life. One bad rep doesn’t cost you much. But millions of bad reps, day after day, add up. That’s how you throw your back out while sweeping the porch. It’s not random. It’s the accumulated cost of poor mechanics. I lived with chronic back pain for a year before I realized this. If I had walked in balance all those years, maybe I wouldn’t have had the precondition for that injury in the first place.

Balance is a skill, and you can train it. Like changing where you put your keys, it takes a few weeks of mindfulness before it becomes automatic. I tell people to be aware for 21 days. Put a rubber band on your wrist. Snap it every time you forget. Exaggerate the motion. Walk like George Jefferson if you have to. Whatever it takes to pattern the movement. Once it’s in your system, it feels natural and easy.

The secret is simple. Head over foot, every step. That’s what creates the coiled spring in your core. Shoulder down and back, hip up and forward. It’s a powerful position that sets you up for the next step before you’ve even landed. There’s a reason athletes look confident when they walk. That’s not just attitude. That’s balance, expressed through movement.

Movement creates a kind of harmony that carries into your mind. Ever had your best ideas on a run or in the shower? It’s the same principle. When your movement is rhythmic and balanced, it creates brain waves that allow your thoughts to flow. Walking right is not just good for your joints. It’s good for your creativity, your problem solving, and your peace of mind.

Most people think strength comes first. But strength built on dysfunction is dangerous. You have to find effortless power first. That means movement that feels easy and fluid. Once you have that, then you can layer on strength and intensity. That’s how you build something lasting. Strength is never a weakness, but balance is the foundation. Get that part right, and every ounce of strength becomes more useful and more powerful.