Arms in Motion
/How do you use your arms in walking? Take a moment next time you are walking to observe how your arms are moving.
- Do they move freely?
- Does one arm swing more freely than the other?
- Do your arms reach out forward more than they extend back?
- Do they primarily move from below the elbow or move freely from the shoulders?
There are three primary roles of the arms in walking: They're Thrusters, Sensors, and Balancers. When used properly the arms are free to float and should naturally pendulum back and forth when you're walking. However, many of us unconsciously hold our arms increasing tension which can lead to tight shoulders, neck pain or more serious conditions like thoracic outlet syndrome.
Next time you go for a walk see if you can shake out your arms and let them begin to swing more freely. One image that I sometimes use with clients is to imagine using your arms to swim through the air. This can help to get you started in developing more freedom in your swing and this would be an example of using your arms as thrusters to move you forward. Eventually you want the arms to naturally swing on their own, but this is a great way to bring some more awareness to get them moving again.
Starting next week I'll be offering weekly movement classes to explore human movement potential and develop greater awareness of areas such as the arms that could benefit from more conscious movement!
