04 / Posture guide
Good Posture While Walking
Good posture standing still is one thing. Good posture while walking is harder, because every step gives your body a chance to drift. Here is how to keep it on the move.
Save this guide to Pinterest5 cues for walking tall
- 01
Lead with the crown
Imagine the top of your head is gently pulled forward and up as you walk. Not your face, not your chest: your crown. This keeps your head over your shoulders instead of reaching ahead of them.
- 02
Eyes on the horizon
Look at a point at eye level ahead of you. Looking at the ground is the fastest way to lose your posture, because the head drops and the shoulders follow. Your peripheral vision will handle the pavement.
- 03
Ribs closed, core light
Keep your front ribs soft and down, as if they are knitted together, and your lower belly lightly drawn in. Not clenched. This holds your middle steady so the upper body doesn’t sway or lean back.
- 04
Hips under you
Your hips should travel directly under your shoulders, not ahead of them (swayback) or behind them (leaning forward). A slightly shorter stride makes this much easier.
TipIf your heel lands far in front of you, your stride is too long for your posture.
- 05
Arms loose
Let your arms hang long and swing gently forward and back. Stiff arms lock the shoulders, and crossing arms mean the shoulders are rounding. The swing should be easy and even.
Why posture changes when you move
Standing still, you can check yourself in the mirror and hold a position. Walking, your body balances something new with every step, and it falls back on habit. If your habit is a forward head or rounded shoulders, that is what shows up. The fix is to practise posture while moving, not only standing.
Check it on video
Film yourself walking past the camera from the side, about three metres away, at hip height. Pause mid-stride and check:
- Is your ear roughly over your shoulder?
- Are your shoulders over your hips?
- Are you leaning forward or back?
- Is your head at the same height through the clip, or bobbing?
Then film from the front. Are your shoulders level? Do your arms swing evenly?
A walking posture drill
- Stand in aligned posture against a wall for 30 seconds.
- Step away and walk ten steps, keeping the feeling.
- Stop and reset against the wall.
- Repeat five times.
- On the last one, walk for a full minute.
Build it into your day
Pick one cue a week. Week one: crown. Week two: eyes. Week three: ribs. Use it every time you walk somewhere, even to the kitchen. After a month, walking tall starts to feel normal.
If your standing posture needs work first, see the 4 types of posture and the daily posture routine. For walk technique, read how to walk like a model.
Questions
Should I walk with my shoulders back?
Down and relaxed is better than back. Pulling them back hard makes your walk stiff and can arch your lower back.
How do I remember good posture while walking?
Use one cue at a time and tie it to a trigger, like crown up every time you walk through a door.
Common mistakes
- Looking at your phone while you walk.
- Leaning forward to walk faster.
- Pulling the shoulders back hard, which makes the walk stiff.
- Overstriding, which pushes the hips out of line.
- Carrying a heavy bag on the same shoulder every day.
Not medical advice. If you have pain, numbness or an injury, see a physiotherapist before you start.
Défilé · Posture score
Défilé measures posture while you walk. Film a walk and see your posture score.
Film a walk and Défilé scores it out of 100, shows you the one thing holding it back and gives you a short drill to fix it. Your video never leaves your phone.
On Android? Défilé is coming soon to Google Play.
