The Yoga and Walking
Connection

By Nicole Kwan

Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my
thoughts begin to flow.
~Henry David Thoreau

Balance
“With every step we take, there’s a split second where we’re balanced on one foot because the other is busy swinging through. It’s like going from Tadasana to Tree but with forward movement,” says Brourman. With that balancing Tree also comes the tendency to drop into your hips because of weak hip flexors or inner thighs, which can eventually lead to inflamed joints. Instead, you want to be muscle dependent, not joint dependent, with each step.

One-Footed Tadasana
Think of this series like walking in slow-mo but not going anywhere. Instead, by lingering in one position at a time, you’ll feel yourself lifting out of your joints, which will translate to your walking. Can’t feel if you’re dropping into your hip? Stand on your right leg with your left slightly lifted straight up to the side. Sit down on your right hip so your right hip juts out to the right. Imagine there’s a tiny chair that will only hold your right side. Then stand up straight. Feel that lift? That’s where you want to be when you’re walking. Do 2 to 3 times on each side for 15 to 30 seconds per side.

Eagle
While you’re trying to stay upright in Eagle, gravity is pulling you down and forward making your body fight to balance. When you walk, right before your front heel strikes the ground, you’re front leg is moving forward and down as the crown of your head is lifting up. At that second you’re either dropping into your joints (bad) or letting your muscles work (good). Eagle pose strengthens your oblique muscles, keeping you upright and lifted out of your joints. Hold for 30 seconds on each side.



Core strength
“Core strength is the capacity to hold steady when gravity wants you to let your joints do all the work--which eventually will stretch them out. Instead, you need to combine strong muscles with steady joints,” says Brourman. Therefore, your torso, knees, elbows, wrists, and every other body part contribute to stabilizing your spine, not just your abs. When you walk, you are moving your body away from your legs and need to hold your body up so you don’t wear down your joints.

Warrior I
“Warrior I combines hip internal rotation and strength with abdominal strength. When you see someone with really strong legs and their belly sticking out, this indicates weakness in the obliques and transverse abdominals,” says Brourman. To engage your abs, she suggests focusing on your feet. Make sure each of the four corners (the inside and outside corners of the ball of the foot and both edges of the heel-- not the toes) are firmly planted on the ground. Focus on broadening your foot, not scrunching it up, and you’ll feel a slight lift in your feet, helping you pull your abs in. Hold for one minute on each side.

Triangle
Like when you walk, in Triangle you have to hold your body up as you move your torso away from your legs. “You need to keep your hips level in order to lift out of your bottom ribs and engage your obliques,” says Brourman. “Your obliques are important because, when you walk, your body turns as you face each step you take. Strong obliques keep you from overarching your back into a backbend.” (Backbends are good in yoga not in walking). Weak obliques throw your body of out good walking alignment, weakening your joints. Do each side 3 times, going into the pose on the exhale, coming up on the inhale.

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