Did You Know?

Did you know that you do not have to walk 10,000 steps a day to keep or improve your health?  Evidence shows that health benefits increase for every 1000 steps you take during your day.  1000 steps can be added to your day by walking at a moderate to brisk pace for only 10 to 12 minutes a day.  Evidence also shows that the number of steps people take per day declines with age.  Why is that?  It is not because older people have less time in their day to walk.  Older people often have more time as work and family responsibilities lessen. It is more because age, illness, and injury-related factors alter the way people walk, and this can make walking unsteady, effortful, and less enjoyable.  It is easy to see how a vicious cycle develops: poor walking pattern leads to less walking and less walking makes the walking pattern deteriorate. 

Did you know it is possible to improve walking patterns, called gait, the way of walking? Taking multiple steps with a poor gait can contribute to painful joints and muscle imbalance, and these can make you feel less motivated to walk.

At PhysioBiometrics we focus on applying technologies and biomechanical principles to help people walk BEtter, faster, longer, STronger or BEST.  Learning to walk BEST helps to develop a steady and balanced gait which reduces the chances of tripping or stumbling and even can prevent falls. As people age, the risk of falling increases and a good gait plays a key role in keeping people on their feet.

Walking with a good gait is therapy for joints and muscles, keeping them flexible and strong. A good gait improves posture and retrains the natural mechanics of the body, preventing stiffness and discomfort. Every good step provides therapy for the body; imagine the benefit of every 1000 good steps. 

Walking is a rhythmic, dynamic, and aerobic activity involving large muscles of the body. As it is a low-impact exercise, it helps to maintain bone health without damaging joints.  It contributes to maintaining a healthy weight, crucial for preventing various health issues such as heart disease and diabetes. However, not having a good gait will affect the enjoyment of walking and, ultimately, the quantity of walking.  PhysioBiometrics focuses on quality before quantity – walk better to walk more.   

A key technology developed exclusively by PhysioBiometrics to stimulate BEST walking is the Heel2Toe ^TM sensor.  This small device attaches to the side of the shoe and automates a strategy that Physiotherapists use during gait training, instructing the client to place the heel first when walking.  This simple strategy changes a stooped, shuffling, gait to one that is upright and striding. Each time the user makes a “good” step with a strong heel strike, the sensor emits a “beep”.  This type of positive auditory feedback acts as a reward mechanism and stimulates neural connections in the brain. By harnessing the power of the brain, a more desirable gait pattern, one with a more powerful step and adequate foot clearance, becomes imprinted, making changes to gait more long-lasting.

The Heel2Toe sensor is not only for older persons or people mobility challenges from illness of injury. The Heel2Toe sensor can turn anyone into a power walker.  Make every step as BEST as it can be and maintain the BEST quality gait to get the most benefit out of your training time.  

PhysioBiometrics Inc. also offers many other ways to help you walk your BEST.

• Walk-BEST Workshops help people to learn and practice the BEST way of walking.
• Walk-BEST Knee Bands allow you to experience walking with more stability and less pain.
• Walk-BEST Calendar-Activity-Sticker Book can help you learn to set and meet SMART walking goals.
• Walk-BEST Chair is an outdoor exercise platform that is ready to install in a park near you.  Let your city know that you want this.
• Walk-BEST Workbook, Walk for Purpose, and How to Run a Walking Club are all free resources ready for you to download from the Resource tab.

Use these resources to help you walk BEtter, Faster, Longer, STronger and keep you on track to get you to where you want to go.