Did you know that walking with duck feet is often at the root of hip, knee, foot, and lower back pain? When your toes point out, it alters your body mechanics. Being duck-footed creates problems. And, it’s to your benefit to stop walking duck footed.
Why is it a disadvantage to walk with duck feet?.
Walking with duck-footedness can hurt your feet. Out-toeing places stress on the inner part of the foot, particularly the arch, increasing the risk of plantar fasciitis, bunions, and flat feet. Duck-footed walking causes the knee to rotate inward, increasing pressure on the inside of the joint. This leads to knee pain, arthritis, and damage to the meniscus and ligaments of the knee. Also, the outward rotation of the feet causes the hip to rotate outward, leading to hip pain, stiffness, and inflammation. And, the muscles in the back work harder to maintain balance and posture, leading to muscle strain and pain. See the picture of duck feet below!
So, how do I stop walking duck footed?
The art of Somatic Movement teaches us that lasting and permanent change is neurological. Simply manipulating your feet into a different position doesn’t usually solve the problem. Rather, we need to convince our brain that that is an advantage to stop walking duck-footed!
A simple way to begin to convince your brain to find a more desirable footing is to follow the exercise in the video below. Basically, I am asking you to feel the connection between your feet, knees, hips, and back.
When your feet turn into duck feet, you can feel how your arches collapse, your knees move towards each other, and how your lower back collapses. Simply begin to point your toes inward until you find yourself pigeon-toed! Hopefully, you are feeling this change in your knees, hips, and lower back. Gently and pleasantly move smoothly between these two positions, paying attention to the sensations you encounter. Please, don’t strain. Don’t go into pain. Eventually, stop the movement and just see if your feet are less duck-footed. If they are, you are on your way to a better permanent foot position that respects the health of your knees, hips, and back!
Letting go of bad habits takes time and study. Luckily, we have Somatic Movement. Somatic Movement encourages our old habits to fall by the wayside. Instead, we explore what is natural but often impeded in our body movement.. The work is gentle, effective, and can create lasting change. I have more resources on YouTube for better walking and general somatic movement. You can also find walking videos on my website. Click here and scroll down.
Don’t hesitate to reach out for a complimentary 15 minute call, sign up for a discovery session or for my next zoom or in person walking clinic!
I offer ongoing walking workshops and one one-on-one sessions. These classes and workshops are invaluable because our human bodies evolved to walk. It really is what we are meant ot be doing and I can help you stay pain and injury free. You can also visit my YouTube Yoga, Somatics and Walking Playlist
Share this post:
Share on X (Twitter)Share on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare on WhatsApp
CategoriesCategories Blog, Embodiment, Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Somatic Movement, Walking Course, Yoga and walking
