How to Walk Properly
Key insights: 60-second read
- How you walk naturally may not automatically be optimal - modern habits like sitting and heeled footwear create hidden compensations.
- Optimal walking is like controlled falling - lean forward, lift your heel toward your bottom, and land under your body rather than heel striking out in front.
- Start tall with feet pointing straight ahead - if this feels awkward, it may indicate ankle or hip restrictions that need attention.
- Common compensations include turned-out feet and excessive heel striking - these often signal underlying mobility issues.
The way you walk without thinking isn't guaranteed to be the most optimal. You could be perfect, or like most people, it could just be the path of least resistance for a body full of subtle compensations created from this modern world of ours.
Whether you have lower leg pain or not, taking a look at how you move - and why, could unlock a more efficient and sustainable walking pattern, setting you up for long-term, sustained success. On the other hand, the way you currently walk might help you highlight hidden issues bubbling away under the surface that you've never had a reason to focus on.
So let's take a look at how you walk, and how close to an optimal walking pattern you might be.
"Just because the way you walk without thinking about it is the way you walk without thinking about it doesn't guarantee that it's the most effective way to move. It's a reflection of how your body is moving at the moment."
On this page
Why your natural walking pattern may not be optimal
In theory, the way your body moves without conscious thought should be the most efficient expression of human movement. However, my clinical experience suggests something slightly different for many people.
The modern world has introduced a lot of hidden variables that our body's have to compensate for. Two of the biggest contributors clinically are prolonged sitting and heeled footwear. Neither is inherently "bad", but both can create hidden restrictions that your body then has to work around.
How sitting and footwear quietly change your walking pattern
When you sit for long periods, your hips remain flexed to roughly 90 degrees. Over time, the tissues around your hips (especially the front) can adapt to this shortened position, making full hip extension during walking more difficult. Similarly, slouching through your spine while sitting can introduce specific dysfunction into your lower back and your legs.
Heeled shoes, even modest ones, hold your ankle in a slightly elevated position. This makes it harder to access our full range of ankle dorsiflexion (bending your shin toward your foot). The ankle joint, calf muscles and Achilles tendon can gradually adapt to this shape, becoming tighter and less compliant if you aren't utilising that normal end range.
Clinical insight
When you take these restrictions into walking, your body does the best it can. It's always looking to find the path of least resistance. That path often involves turning the feet outward, reducing step length, or altering how your foot lands. These compensations may feel "natural" because they have become your new normal. But they may be loading your joints and soft tissues less efficiently than an unrestricted pattern would.
How to walk properly: a step-by-step guide
The following approach is based on basic biomechanical principles of efficiency. It may feel unfamiliar at first, especially if you have been compensating for restrictions for years.
1. Start tall with your feet straight
Before you take a single step, stand as tall as you comfortably can. Your shoulders should be back but not forced. Gently engage your trunk muscles, not in a rigid way but enough to feel supported. Most importantly, check the direction your feet are pointing. Ideally, they point straight ahead, not turned out.
If having your feet straight feels tight or awkward, that is valuable information. It may suggest restriction in your ankles, the front of your hips, or both.
2. Think of walking as controlled falling
Rather than actively pushing off with your back leg, allow your whole body to lean forward slightly from the ankles, not the hips. Keep your torso and pelvis aligned. As you lean, you should feel your heels begin to lift off the ground. Gravity now helps initiate forward movement rather than you actively pushing off all the time.
A useful drill: stand facing a wall, slightly more than arm's length away. Place your hands on the wall and practise falling forward onto your hands as one unit. Feel your heels come up, then simply lift one heel toward your bottom and place your foot back down.
"When we're thinking of initiating our first step, this is when we start to deviate from what a lot of people tend to feel they're doing naturally. For a lot of people, taking that first step requires you to lift your leg up and almost push your heel off. But that's not the most efficient way to do things."
3. Lift your heel toward your bottom, do not push off
This is one of the most common differences between an efficient walking pattern and a less efficient one. Instead of pushing off forcefully from your back toes, focus on lifting your heel directly up toward your glutes. This reduces unnecessary work from your calf muscles and encourages a more fluid transfer of weight.
4. Land under your body, not out in front
Heel striking out in front of you acts as a brake. Each time you land on your heel out in front, you create a deceleration force. Over thousands of steps, that adds up. Instead, aim to land closer to the middle of your foot, with your foot landing underneath or very close to underneath your body, rather than heel striking out in front of your body.
From the side, this looks subtle. But the difference in joint loading can be significant over time, particularly for the knees, shins and lower back.
Common compensations and what they may indicate
- Walking with feet turned out – This often suggests limited ankle dorsiflexion or restricted hip extension. Your body turns the foot out to "go around" a restriction.
- Feeling unstable when leaning forward – May indicate reduced core or trunk control, or a balance system that has adapted to a more passive, upright posture.
- Difficulty lifting your heel toward your bottom – Could relate to rectus femoris (front thigh) tightness or reduced hip flexor length.
- Persistent heel striking despite trying to change – Sometimes linked to reduced ankle mobility or a habitual motor pattern that requires conscious retraining over time.
Retraining your walking pattern takes time
If you have been walking a certain way for years or decades, your brain has learned that pattern. Changing it requires repetition, attention and often addressing the underlying restrictions that made the old pattern necessary in the first place. This is why simply being told to "walk properly" may not work long term. You may also need to free up your hips, ankles or spine, while practising the new motor pattern consistently.
In clinical practice, we often combine targeted mobility exercises with walking retraining. For some people, small changes like reducing heel height in everyday shoes or taking more frequent breaks from sitting can also make a meaningful difference.
One key insight
"Just because the way that you walk without thinking about it is the way that you walk without thinking about it doesn't guarantee that it's the most effective way to move. It just guarantees that that's how your body's moving at the moment. And if it's compensating for some basic dysfunction that the modern world has introduced, that could be contributing to your lower leg aches and pains."
Frequently asked questions about walking mechanics
Is heel striking always bad?
Not necessarily. Heel striking exists on a spectrum. A light heel strike with the foot close to your centre of mass is very different from a heavy heel strike with the leg extended far out in front. The issue is more about where your foot lands relative to your body, not whether your heel touches first at all.
Can changing my walking pattern help with shin splints or plantar fasciitis?
It may. Both conditions are influenced by how load is distributed through your lower leg and foot. A walking pattern that involves excessive heel striking, turned-out feet, or inadequate hip extension can increase load on specific tissues. Addressing those mechanics is often one part of a broader management plan.
How long does it take to change a walking pattern?
There is no fixed timeline. Some people notice changes within a few weeks of consistent practice. For others, particularly if underlying mobility restrictions are significant, it may take several months. The most important factor is regular, mindful practice rather than intensity. Don't worry about the destination, fall in love with the journey.
Do I need special shoes to walk properly?
Not necessarily. Minimal or zero-drop shoes can make it easier to feel the mechanics described above, but you can practise these principles in most footwear. The bigger consideration is whether your everyday shoes have a significant heel that limits ankle mobility over time.
If you are struggling with lower leg aches, hip discomfort, or just want to move more efficiently, please consider booking an appointment. I would love to help you figure out what hidden restrictions might be affecting your walking pattern and make sure the recommendations are as specific as possible to you and your symptoms.
If you found this guide helpful, please consider watching the full video above and sharing it with someone who might benefit.
- Grant
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