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We walk 8000-10000 steps a day, many people up to 20000. Yet we don’t have walking classes or check ups despite us all being human and having asymmetry/injuries/stress load. Walking is something we want to be able to do with ease well into old age. We also need to walk before we can run. Unfortunately it’s something I can’t give quick clips on what to work on as it’s so individual. This client came to me after a broken fibula (ankle) but her ankle was actually doing well, it was a left AIC pattern, lack of core breath and pelvic neutrality on left. Her lower back hurt on both sides but more left when lying on floor, indicating that her back extensors were hypertonic and needed inhibiting.

Did you know most episiotomies are performed with right handed sissors? This means most women’s scars are on the right side. This can affect the strength and mobility of the right hip and pelvis. They are usually at a sideways angle into the transverse perineal muscle and bulbocavernosus muscles with help stabilise the pelvis and the breath. Already tilted forwards from pregnancy, the scar tissue would prevent stability and mobility leading to hip or back issues that are rarely traced back to episiotomies. I’m fascinated with the history and trauma that the body holds.  In my 20 years of teaching I’ve seen some mind-blowing examples of the mind body connection that are irrefutable.  Lightbulb moments of understanding in people that lead to unwinding and healing. When I ask for people’s history, they undoubtably leave many things out. Women NEVER mention their episiotomies or tears.  Why is this? Are we socially conditioned to believe that these are not important? Are we ashamed of them? I’ve first hand experienced the huge implications causing right hip instability, excessive external FA rotation and limited IR particularly with a posterior tilt meaning the right stance part of gait was completely comprised.  Pelvic floor strength was obviously compromised too. The scar was pulling, tight, holding on to the trauma. There is also a possibility that the episiotomy biomechanics also cause bunions….. it’s all connected. C-sections have a profound impact too. As do ANY scars, if they are not understood. Once you see it, you can’t un-see it. And the recovery is much quicker when you can see where you are and where you are going. A few bespoke session of movement can reap years of strength.

Hip extension… I often see people lack this in their gait. They even may be able to do it passively in yoga poses but when it comes to synchronising it within their walking or running they have lost that control. If you can’t access it, you will take it from over extending your knee joint or your back eventually causing pain. The best way to find your way back? – kneeling hip extension hold (camel pose without reaching back) – AIM split stance drills – PRI 90/90 drills – standing deep breath work (tadasana) to synchronise deep core with extension. – breath work when walking/running – awareness It very much depends on your individual pattern. There are many paths to the same outcome so it depends on finding the right path for you. DM me for an assessment.

Calves are referred to as our second hearts. They are beautifully designed to help you walk but they are also vital venus pumps from the legs to the heart. Ankle mobility and strength are determine the quality of their function. In order for them to function effectively we need to look below at the feet (and above but let’s focus below on this post). If we lack natural movement and strength in the foot, we lack calf function because the front of the foot needs to plant flex (push down) evenly in order for the heel to lift (the calves contract).  The front of the ankle muscles also need a good strength to control this motion.  If the big toe or baby toe is not able to planta flex (push down) one side of the foot with take more of the weight and this will impact the calf movement.  Put all of these together and some people I see avoid movement in the ankle and therefore dont get a full calf contraction, which can lead to varicose vein’s, cold feet and bad circulation, foot issues and reduced healing or heath as well as compensation patterns up the chain. We also need to look at footwear. Ideally we want a shoe that is flat, very flexible and thin so that our feet are functioning as naturally as possible. So foot wear also changes blood flow & heart health by virtue of improving the natural function of the calves. Be aware that if you have never worn barefoot shoes before you need to transition with strengthening and mobility exercises. So which moves are best? Heel raises (double and single), heel drops slowly off a stair (eccentrically loading really helps), toe strengthening moves, toe mobility moves, and eventually jumps and hops can help build up the strength.

The hormone progesterone sky rockets before menstruation. Progesterone is well know to increases breathing rate. If you are already breathing a bit too fast, due to anxiety or bad breathing habits this will push you into hyperventilation, which is why studies show women’s Carbon Dioxide (CO2) levels drop 25% at this time. The CO2 levels need to be level to keep the body healthy and if we are breathing too much, we actually breath out too much carbon dioxide (but studies show Oxygen levels stay the same). Low CO2 levels can cause: Shortness of breath Anxiety Rapid heart rate Heart palpitations Increase pain Fainting Cramps /Spasms…. Hold on, they are all PMT symptoms. Check your breathing rate.  If its more than 12-14 breaths a minute then chances are this will increase before your flow and then check it again before your flow and if you find it at 20 -24 breaths a minute, this is hyperventilation and it will cause all the symptoms above. I can help you learn tricks to stop the hyperventilating and reduce PMT symptoms. Its all about breathing slower and less and with your diaphragm. Ideally 5 breaths a minute as an active meditation before bed, reduce the volume of air you breath in and breath into the whole diaphragm.

Colds, sniffles, hay fever, allergies, blocked noses? Have your tried mouth taping? It is helpful to find your way back to nasal breathing at night. (It will unblock your nose, the more you do this and its very cheap and easy). The more we use our nose breath the more nitric oxide we draw into our lungs and our blood stream (antiviral, antibacterial, vasodilator). See previous posts on the science and studies behind this. Other benefits: – Reduces anxiety (as it tones vagal nerve and switches on para sympathetic nervous system) – Improves oral health (reduces bacteria and fillings – Improves diaphragmatic breathing (nasal breathing connects to a deeper breath) – Increases tissue oxygenation (via nitric oxide & carbon dioxide increases) – Warms and filters the air – Opens the airways and blood vessels (due to nitric oxide) – Improves jaw development for growing kids – Deeper sleep – Improves CO2 levels – Reduced back pain (because increases diaphragmatic breathing and/or breathing awareness – Reduces allergies If you have been a mouth breather for years it is worth getting bit of training on this before you jump straight in so give me a call.

Orthotics have their place in treatment of certain conditions or rare extreme structural issues. But ultimately they give temporary relief at the expense of long term dysfunction. They are often given to reduce pronation. However pronation is a natural part of the gait function. It’s beautifully designed as a shock absorber. If we prevent this from happening when we walk, our body has to compensate and absorb the ‘shock’ in many other ways. It’s better to address the reason for the pain or over pronation. Which could be coming from the knee, or hips, or breath, or simply the foot needs strengthening. I was in orthotics from 10 years old until 13/14 for knee and ankle pain. I understand that sometimes we just don’t have the time and capacity to address the root problem and retrain, in which case they work wonders as a temporary crutch. But anyone who’s been in them for years knows ultimately that they are not sustainable, because we don’t wear shoes 24/7 and they don’t work in all shoes. So the hours of the day when we are not wearing them – what then? Without addressing function, this confused the system even more going from a hard cast orthotic (potentially weakening and reducing function) to barefoot or in summer shoes etc. Long term that is perhaps worse for the body? I’ve seen such quick foot function changes in people when they put their mind to it. The foot is mainly muscle and tendon – it can be trained, as can the whole body above it, which is all part of the same. I’ve studied my own biomechanics for years so I get it.

I find this stunning – evolutionary wonder. Women’s L3 (a lower back vertebrae) is a wedge shape, when men’s are not. Designed for pregnancy weight. As the baby weight shifts the center of mass forward this causes a lot of shear on the back muscles so to help it allows a larger lower back curve, which also leads to upper back moving back, which balances the weight more efficiently under gravity. However, I see many women ‘stuck’ in this posture. Post pregnancy or even without pregnancy. I include myself in this, despite much ‘western yoga’. (Another conversation I’m working up to). The wedge shape pre-disposes us to certain postures and breathing. Awareness and specific breath work is enough. Abdominal workouts can help a bit, but for sustainable spinal health, pelvic floor and diaphragm health and lung capacity, it needs to be trained with breath work.

Having spent years learning biomechanics, the amount of awe I have for the design of the feet, this to me is a form of self abuse. We balk in horror at the pictures of Chinese foot binding, but this is still a milder version of it. The toes, particularly the big toe, which is crucial in walking, takes a huge amount of force and weight in walking/dancing/running and connected to your neck, is bent and twisted out of shape, squeezing, binding your toe bones and the many muscles and tendons, preventing them from functioning. Meaning other muscles will take over (back, neck, thighs, hip flexors). You can’t dance freely in these, you definitely can’t run in these, your energy is sapped by the compensation patterns to help you walk. Wouldn’t it be better to use that energy for something else? I hope the next generation will recognise this as self abuse and I think many of them already do.