Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-08-04
How to Walk.

1t may seem at first ridiculous to pre-.
tend to teach grown people how TO walk
as though they had not learned this in
infancy. But we are willing to venture
the assertion that not one person in
twenty knows how to walk well. How
few people there are who do not feel
slightly embarrassed when obliged to
walk across large room in which are
many persons seated so as to observe
well each movement! How many pub
lie speakers there are who appear well
upon the platform so long as they re-
main standing still, or nearly so, but
who become almost ridiculous as soon
as they attempt to walk about. Good
walkers are scarce. As we step along
the street, we are often looking out for
good walkers, and we find them very
seldom. What is good walking? We
answer, easy, graceful, natural walking:
Nearly all the good walkers there are
will be found among gentlemen. since
fashion insists on so trammeling wom-
an that she cannot walk well, can scarce
ly make natural movement, in fact.
10 walk naturally, requires the harmo-
NOUS action of nearly every muscle in
the body. A good walker walks all
over: not with a universal swing and
swagger, as though each bone was a
pendulum with its own separate hang.
ing, but easy, gracefully. Not only the
muscles of the lower limbs, but those of
the trunk, even of the neck, as well as
those of the arms, are all called into &C.
ton as natural walking. A person who
keeps his trunk and upper extremities
rigid while walking, gives one the i'm
preston of an automaton with pedal
extremities set on hinges. Nothing
could be more ungraceful than the mine.
ing, wriggling gait which the majority
of young ladies exhibit in their walk.
They are scarcely to be held RESPONSE
BILE, however, since fashion requires
them to dress themselves in such way
as to make it impossible to walk other
wise than awkwardly and unnaturally.
We cannot attempt to describe the
numerous varieties of unnatural gaits,
and will leave the subject with few
suggestions about correct walking.
l. Hold the head erect, with the
shoulders drawn back and the chin
drawn in. Nothing looks more awkward
and disagreeable than a person walking
and chin elevated.
2. Step lightly and with elasticity
not with a lettering gait setting the
foot down 'squarely upon the walk and
raising it sufficiently high to clear the
walk in swinging it forward. A shut
fling gait denotes shiftless character.
But do not 60 to the other extreme,
stepping along like horse with '.string
halt" A person with firm, light,
elastic gait, will walk much farther
without WEAKNESS than one who shut
fles along. A kind of measured tread
or rhythm in the walk also seems to add
to the power of endurance, although,
for persons who have long distances to
travel. an occasional change in the time
will be advantageous.
8. In walking, do not attempt to keep
any part of the body rigid, but leave all
free to adapt themselves to the varying
circumstances which constant change
of position occasions. The arms natur-
ally swing gently, but not violently.
The object of this is to maintain the
balance of the body, as also by the gen.
tie swinging motion to aid in propeu-
ing the body along.
Correct walking should be cultivated.
1t ought TO be taught along with arts
and sciences. In our military schools
it is taught; but these schools can be II
tended by but few. Invalids. especial
ly, should take great pains to learn to
walk well, as by so doing they will gain
more than double the amount of benefit
they viii ot1.arwise derive from tie ex-
erciSe.-HOnle Handbook.