The Little Book of Falling : Prevent Injury and Recover Quickly From Gravity's Embrace by Lavinia Plonka

Author:Lavinia Plonka [Plonka, Lavinia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 154328468X
Amazon: B007CD3B0Y
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2012-01-22T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

Stepping Up, Over and Around

Long ago, people rode in horse-drawn carriages on bumpy dirt roads through forests and fields. The carriage axles were designed to lubricate themselves as they hit bumps, releasing grease that kept the machinery running smoothly. As cities developed smoother roads, these carriages no longer experienced these “shocks” to their structure, so the greasing action didn’t happen. This was fine, until the carriage hit a bump, when the whole mechanism often fell apart because the axle had rusted.

Humans are designed in a similar fashion. Our joints are lubricated by synovial fluid that keeps them flexible and supple. When we engage in varied activities, or travel on uneven terrain, the joints maintain their lubrication. However if we always walk on paved roads, treadmills or in malls, the hips, like the carriage, will not be prepared for the challenges of a sudden change in surface – whether it’s a crack in the sidewalk, an unexpected ledge or a pothole.

People often sense this vulnerability and end up looking down as they walk, further compromising their stability. Your head weighs between eight and twelve pounds. If it’s bent forward, you are already heading down towards the ground, plus you can’t see what’s ahead or around you (we’ll look at that more in the next chapter).

One of the best ways to lubricate your joints is to go hiking on a mountain trail. The rocks, twists and turns, and changes in level can make your hip joints very happy, even if you go slowly and not very far. But not everyone has a mountain in their back yards, so we need some simple movements that can offer similar benefits. The hip joints are located inside your pelvis and need the action of the pelvis to move efficiently. When you step over a rock, duck under a bush, squeeze around a puddle, you are using your pelvis in concert with your hips. When walking on a straight road, it’s easy to forget how the pelvis supports movement. Many people just move the legs, effectively freezing parts of the body. If you learn to include your pelvis in your image of walking, you will fall far less often and will save your hips from potential wear and tear.

I invited the class to walk around the room and observe how they walk. “What is your pelvis doing?” I asked.

“My pelvis?” an older man laughed. “I haven’t thought about my pelvis in years!”

After working with a woman who had severe hip and knee pain for several sessions, she got up from a lesson and began to walk. Her hips swayed elegantly and her walk, which had been stiff and ungainly, was now smooth. She stopped in the middle of the room. “Oh my,” she exclaimed. “I’m walking like a hussy!”

Our culture has emphasized the sexual aspect of pelvic movement and forgotten the functional. Reclaiming the mobility and power of the pelvis is a study unto itself. For our purposes, I ask only that you suspend your previous conceptions of “proper walking” and enjoy the following exploration.

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