Walking heel-to-toe, also known as tandem gait, primarily improves your balance.
While the provided reference mentions activities like basketball or walking on sand for balance, it doesn't explicitly explain why walking heel-to-toe improves balance. However, the concept of challenging your balance is key. Walking heel-to-toe achieves this by:
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Narrowing your base of support: When you walk normally, your feet are usually a bit apart, giving you a wider base. Walking heel-to-toe reduces this base significantly, making you less stable and forcing your body to work harder to maintain balance.
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Engaging core muscles: To maintain balance on the narrowed base, your core muscles need to engage more actively. This strengthens these muscles over time, contributing to better overall stability.
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Improving proprioception: Proprioception is your body's awareness of its position in space. Heel-to-toe walking challenges your proprioceptive system, helping it become more refined. This allows for quicker adjustments and better balance.
Therefore, heel-to-toe walking is a balance challenging activity that can improve overall balance and stability by narrowing your base of support, engaging your core muscles, and improving your proprioception.
