Over a lifetime our bodies change and our sense of balance changes with time. As we add years, most people have a tendency to carry more of their body weight towards the front. Gravity has a way of slowly influencing these subtle posture changes to our spines. Our habits of always looking down at our phones or working on computers while sitting at a desk do not help us keep a balanced posture.
Learning to body sense the use of your lower leg muscles can provide you information about how you are carrying yourself. If you feel your calves engaging or notice that you are having to use your toes for propulsion, you are probably too far forward of neutral. More use of your hamstrings you are most likely too vertical. If you can feel your feet landing mid-foot you are right one the money. Best way to know for sure is to have someone video you running.
As summer approaches and you have an opportunity to do some running in sand or lightly packed dirt you can work on reconnecting with your body's sense of balance. When out running or walking stop and take time to look at the footprints you are leaving behind. What you are looking for is an even footprint. There should be no depth difference from the front of the print to the back. Tread depth should not change and no sand divots to the front or back. If you notice a deeper heel imprint you are a heel striking, so shorten your stride and focus on lifting from the crown and lift your ankles. Toe dishing is telling you that you are leaning too far forward and/or holding tension in your feet. Relax your feet and try to slowly bring yourself back while bending your knees. Keep checking back until you are leaving clean prints. Once you are leaving clean footprints, try to memorize how your posture feels. Your goal is to easily check in within yourself and know when you are balanced. Achieving balance while Chi Running or Chi Walking will allow you to move efficiently without effort as opposed to using leg muscles to move you forward.
"As you move throughout your day, remember to keep the balanced feeling and you will also be fighting gravity's work on your spine."
