Last weekend we visited our daughter in downtown Philadelphia. On a cold, blustery day as we walked among many hardy Philadelphia residents, I was reminded how posture and gait are affected when temperatures plummet. Nearly everyone I observed walked with both hands stuffed into their pockets. Heads and necks were withdrawn like turtles into winter coats, and walking strides were shortened due to the icy sidewalks. Dressing appropriately for cold weather can help you maintain tall posture.
Since my years of studying movement in college, observing people walk has always provided me with an interesting pastime. Every gait tells a different story. Physical therapists and dancers share this same intrigue with basic human movement..
Since my years of studying movement in college, observing people walk has always provided me with an interesting pastime. Every gait tells a different story. Physical therapists and dancers share this same intrigue with basic human movement..
When modern dance choreographer Paul Taylor conducts auditions, the first task he asks hopeful dancers is to walk the length of a huge dance floor. I would love to know what he is seeing and thinking that enables him to eliminate hundreds of dancers from his studio while he observes them performing this basic human movement.
Although few of us aspire to become professional dancers*, most of us can improve our posture and walking gait. I think of it as a work in progress. There are methodologies for improving posture and movement such as the Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais Method and yet a simple way to begin improving your posture and movement this winter involves simply dressing to stay warm during cold weather. As my niece says, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.”
Walking outdoors in bad weather takes some planning. Instead of opting for car rides or paying cab fares, act like a New Yorker and be prepared to walk outdoors especially if you live in an area with clear sidewalks. Here is the basic gear you'll need to walk tall this winter:
Gloves – Invest in a good pair of gloves with liners and keep your hands out of your pockets. This allows your arms to swing freely, which improves your balance, so that if you do fall your hands are available to break the descent. It's especially important for older adults and young children to walk with their hands moving freely. Because reaction time declines with age, older adults that fall have less time to catch themselves and are at greater risk for hip fracture. Although young children have quicker reaction times than older adults, they may be less able to remove their hands from their pockets, stretch out their arms and reduce the impact of the fall.
Scarves - Wear a scarf that allows you to "let your head and neck be free" as you walk. My Alexander Technique teacher once observed me walking down the street for my session on a blustery fall day. I was admonished to wear a scarf when the temperatures cool otherwise I would undo the postural work I had been learning by tucking my head and bracing (i.e., raising) my shoulders against the cold wind.
Hats, Hoods and Earmuffs - Cover your head or at least your ears with warm gear to feel more comfortable this winter. Although it is a myth that you lose most of your heat through your head, you'll find that warm head gear will make your time outside in the cold more tolerable. In my Syracuse, New York hometown people are active outdoors all year because they dress appropriately for every weather condition.
Layers - Keep your core warm by dressing in layers. Start with a camisole, tank top, or undershirt and layer shirts, sweaters, and winter coats. On the coldest of winter days, young adults in my Baltimore neighborhood walk to daytime and evening events without a coat or jacket and then complain about our weather!
Boots - Carry your fancy shoes and beautiful leather boots to your destination and wear water-proof boots with good traction when it's snowy and icy outside. If you're a slave to fashion remember that wearing a cast over a fracture that resulted from a fall is even less attractive than donning a functional pair of non-slip boots.
On this penultimate day of January it's 70 degrees in Baltimore and there's snow in the forecast for tomorrow. It's an example of our global-weirding type of weather. During a warm lunchtime walk today I observed people’s arms and legs swinging freely in a normal contra-lateral motion. With lengthened necks they were able to efficiently balance the weight of their heads on their spines. As bipedal creatures, this is the way we were designed to move. Remember to dress warmly, walk tall, and keep active this winter!
Be Well,
Mary
*If you're a dance aficionado, you'll enjoy the extraordinary book, Dancers Among Us: A Celebration of Joy in the Everyday by Jordan Matter. His photographs depict dancers moving in everyday life - and in all types of weather.
P.S. Please ignore the text box below; your comments are always welcome here.
Walking outdoors in bad weather takes some planning. Instead of opting for car rides or paying cab fares, act like a New Yorker and be prepared to walk outdoors especially if you live in an area with clear sidewalks. Here is the basic gear you'll need to walk tall this winter:
Gloves – Invest in a good pair of gloves with liners and keep your hands out of your pockets. This allows your arms to swing freely, which improves your balance, so that if you do fall your hands are available to break the descent. It's especially important for older adults and young children to walk with their hands moving freely. Because reaction time declines with age, older adults that fall have less time to catch themselves and are at greater risk for hip fracture. Although young children have quicker reaction times than older adults, they may be less able to remove their hands from their pockets, stretch out their arms and reduce the impact of the fall.
Scarves - Wear a scarf that allows you to "let your head and neck be free" as you walk. My Alexander Technique teacher once observed me walking down the street for my session on a blustery fall day. I was admonished to wear a scarf when the temperatures cool otherwise I would undo the postural work I had been learning by tucking my head and bracing (i.e., raising) my shoulders against the cold wind.
Hats, Hoods and Earmuffs - Cover your head or at least your ears with warm gear to feel more comfortable this winter. Although it is a myth that you lose most of your heat through your head, you'll find that warm head gear will make your time outside in the cold more tolerable. In my Syracuse, New York hometown people are active outdoors all year because they dress appropriately for every weather condition.
Layers - Keep your core warm by dressing in layers. Start with a camisole, tank top, or undershirt and layer shirts, sweaters, and winter coats. On the coldest of winter days, young adults in my Baltimore neighborhood walk to daytime and evening events without a coat or jacket and then complain about our weather!
Boots - Carry your fancy shoes and beautiful leather boots to your destination and wear water-proof boots with good traction when it's snowy and icy outside. If you're a slave to fashion remember that wearing a cast over a fracture that resulted from a fall is even less attractive than donning a functional pair of non-slip boots.
On this penultimate day of January it's 70 degrees in Baltimore and there's snow in the forecast for tomorrow. It's an example of our global-weirding type of weather. During a warm lunchtime walk today I observed people’s arms and legs swinging freely in a normal contra-lateral motion. With lengthened necks they were able to efficiently balance the weight of their heads on their spines. As bipedal creatures, this is the way we were designed to move. Remember to dress warmly, walk tall, and keep active this winter!
Be Well,
Mary
*If you're a dance aficionado, you'll enjoy the extraordinary book, Dancers Among Us: A Celebration of Joy in the Everyday by Jordan Matter. His photographs depict dancers moving in everyday life - and in all types of weather.
P.S. Please ignore the text box below; your comments are always welcome here.
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