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Wren Lowrey

Mr. Briggs

Block 3: Composition

9 October 2017

The Hows and Whys of Walking

Walking is essential to surviving. Or, at least, it used to be. Nowadays people go to great

lengths to not take a single step, but the best way to go from place to place is by walking.

Walking is a great form of exercise as well as relaxation. By briskly walking at least thirty

minutes a day, a person can ward off heart disease, reduce the risk of type-two diabetes, and lose

weight (Krucoff) (Philippe) (Zuraikat). Walking is a simple enough task and our bodies do so

much to ensure each step is a success.

Starting every movement is the nerves, which tell ligaments and tendons to stride into

each step. As each joint bends, it is a ligament binding two bones together, stretching and

extending with every motion (Tendon vs. Ligament). Bones hold the human body up, but

muscles project it forwards, fighting constantly against the forces of gravity and air resistance.

For this reason, bones and muscles are bound together by tendons, working in a combined effort

for every step (Tendon vs. Ligament).

Walking, however, is not only a foot activity. Every bone in the human body all 206

is involved in walking. Arms, as well as the head, are used for balance (Mirelman) (Deshpande).

As a knee goes up, an ankle extends, arms move back and forth, hips rotates, and the spine bends

forward, every bone in the body strains to find the cores equilibrium (Kobayashi). For this

reason, as humans age they become less coordinated because of weakened joints in the head,

hips, ankles, etc., resulting in a narrowed gait (Deshpande).

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The ability to walk is also contributed to by sight, touch, and hearing. These senses help a

person coordinate his movements and know where he is going. Chief among these is sight, which

accounts for 80% of all sensory information taken in (National Institution of Health). This

fundamental sense guides a person along his walking path, through the dark forest, around the

rivers of doom, and to grandmas house all with the power of foot-eye coordination. Sight,

essentially, is what tells the nerves to move the tendons, ligaments, and bones toward a

destination. Touch is also crucial for balance and coordination. When the foot comes down,

nerves reaching to the sole report on foreign objects and uneven terrain. This information will

guide the body to react accordingly. Likewise, the ear has an important function. Inside of every

ear is the vestibular, an instrument which uses sounds and movements of the head to create

balance in the rest of the body (Deshpande). Without these fundamental senses loss of footing,

falls, and injury may occur. For those who lack tactile, visual, and auditory senses, walking and

many other simple tasks are made problematic (Gallace) (Deshpande). In this way, the other

senses are more heavily relied upon.

Walking is a simple enough task, and our bodies are incredible instruments which are

designed with this job in mind. To go from class to class, or from home to the office, all it takes

is to put one foot in front of the other. Walking, like all exercise, helps to keep the body healthy

and fit. By simply walking, a person can lose weight and reduce the likelihood of heart disease

and onset type-two diabetes (Zuraikat) (Krucoff) (Philippe). To top it off, walking may also

improve a persons mood (Lee). Everyone should walk more often.

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Work Cited

Deshpande, Nandini and Fang Zhang. "Trunk, Head, and Step Characteristics during Normal and

Narrow-Based Walking under Deteriorated Sensory Conditions." Journal of Motor

Behavior, vol. 46, no. 2, Mar/Apr2014, pp. 125-132

Gallace, Alberto. "Living with Touch." Psychologist, vol. 25, no. 12, Dec. 2012, pp. 896-899.

EBSCOhost.

Kobayashi, Taisuke, et al. "Selection of Two Arm-Swing Strategies for Bipedal Walking to

Enhance Both Stability and Efficiency." Advanced Robotics, vol. 30, no. 6, 15 Mar.

2016, pp. 386-401

Krucoff, Carol. "A Walk a Day." Saturday Evening Post, vol. 272, no. 3, May/Jun2000, pp. 12

14. EBSCOhost.

Lee, Annemarie L., et al. "The Short and Long Term Effects of Exercise Training in Non-Cystic

Fibrosis Bronchiectasis - a Randomised Controlled Trial." Respiratory Research, vol. 15,

no. 4, Apr. 2014, pp. 1-10. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1186/1465-9921-15-44.

Mirelman, Anat, et al. "Effects of Aging on Arm Swing during Gait: The Role of Gait Speed and

Dual Tasking." Plos ONE, vol. 10, no. 8, 25 Aug. 2015, pp. 1-11

National Institution of Health. How to Keep Your Sight for Life. NIH MedlinePlus, vol. 3, no.

3, 2008.

Philippe, Marc, et al. "The Effects of 3 Weeks of Uphill and Downhill Walking on Blood Lipids

and Glucose Metabolism in Pre-Diabetic Men: A Pilot Study." Journal of Sports Science

& Medicine, vol. 16, no. 1, Mar. 2017, pp. 35-43. EBSCOhost.

Tendon vs. Ligament. Edited by Linda J. Vorvick, MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia Image,

A.D.A.M., 13 July 2016, medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/19089.htm.

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Zuraikat, Nashat and Catherine Dugan. "Overweight and Obesity among Children: An

Evaluation of a Walking Program." Hospital Topics, vol. 93, no. 2, Apr-Jun2015,

pp. 36 43. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/00185868.2015.1052283.