Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-12-12
THE ART OF WALKING.
Training to Take Long Tramps without
Becoming Wesried.

A gentleman of this city who is famous
as scholar and remarkable as q pedes
TRAN OF enormous staying powers explain.
ed TO me recently that the reason why 50
many persons seem to be unable to make
long walks is that they do not understand
the proper management of their bodies in
such efforts.
An ordinary statement concerning thu
act of walking" he said, lis that it con-
sists of series of interrupted falls. In
other words, walking depends chiefly on
the action Of gravity as il ;rffects the hui
man body while in movement. discov-
ered long ago that walking, as 1t Is ordi
parity performed, is by no meaus a series
OF interrupted falls
of course it is fact that walking y
cludes interrupted falls but there is moth
ing either explanatory or profound in the
statement of that reality. The same might
be said of standing with the same lucdity,
for when one is standing he is subject to
the law of gravity. He would fall were
MS iail not interrupted by his legs.
AS matter Of fact, walking is a mus.
GUAR projection of the body in any direc-
ton by means of the legs muscular move
ments, the two legs never leaving the
walking surface at the same time As we
usually walk we stand erect When that
Is done, gravity does not move the body
forward. On the contrary, its force it ex.
erteo downward in perpendicular line.
Inc movement OF the body forward is Sc
cured by rise and push, as, for example,
when standing on the left leg the right
loot heel Is raised from the ground, and
the ball of the foot and its toes yet touch
ing push is given whereby the body is
projected forward. The right foot is then
carried forward and serves as the body's
support while the left foots heel in its
turn is raised and the body is moved for
ward by second push Gravity is pres
ent, naturally, but the walking depends on
the pushes as its source and constant
cause.
But while falling is an inconsiderable
part III ordinary walking as we walk in |
the streets erect and dignifled. il NAV ho |
applied to long distance walking with |
wonderful success. But he who cultiyates |
such walking must be prepared to give up |
an elegant appearance for the time being. |
Some persons seem to be able to walk ex- |
traordinary distances without extraordi-
nary fatigue. Others seem unable to do So |
For my own part l have observed that |
while | can walk only few miles in the |
city before / look longingly on the street |
cars, l can take a 20 mile walk across |
country without disastrous results save to |
the larder
My method for long distance walking
is as follows: Assume something of a BIZ
cycle hump, lean forward, give no push
with the feet; depend altogether for mo-
mentum on the force exerted by gravity,
which, by your interruption of it, serves
to carry your body forward You must
also bear III mind that short rather than
long steps are the rule, and also that the
advancing foot must never touch the heel
first, but always the toes and ball Of the
foot. Indeed your gait has sort of shuttle
in it and is not pretty, but is tremendous
" effective New York Herald.