How to Walk Properly: Glutes or No Glutes with Todd Martin MD

[@berndwildner-vd1vd]

I had a stroke and this practice help me so much. Better than all my therapists!

[@ToddMartinMD]

So glad it helped.

[@ajprasad6865]

Thanks Doc!

[@roy6419]

I agree you should definitely not push off with your glute max. Not sure if you've covered this, but I find myself pulling with my glutes max all up to and including mid stance. I do use core rotation as well. What do you think? I can't say if it's working as I do suffer from knee pain in both knees but this method does reduce my Achilles Tendonitis

[@ToddMartinMD]

Your gluteus medius is going to activate beginning from heel strike through mid stance. That is what keeps you from falling over sideways. Maybe that is what you are feeling. The glute max will push you, not pull you, so I am not sure how you could be feeling it pull you. It may also be your lower abs that are posteriorly rotating and tucking your pelvis that you are feeling as the pulling action. My guess is you are feeling the combination of the effect of your lower abs and glute medius. Try to push your heel down into the ground after heel strike by extending your hip. That is glute max. It will prevent you from going anywhere.

[@roy6419]

@@ToddMartinMD yep you're right, I tried what you are saying and switching off my glute max a lot. I can really feel the hip flexors (especially tfl) control and create forward motion. Knee pain is a lot less today thanks to that. Do you provide services by any chance?

[@roy6419]

@@ToddMartinMD like coaching or analysis to help improve my gait, as it is the biggest causer of my pain

[@ToddMartinMD]

I do offer coaching through Zoom or in person for those in San Diego. If you are interested in either, send me an email at [e-mail]

[@chaosawaits]

I really love this video even though I fundamentally disagree with it. The gluteus maximus is our largest muscle and contains a high concentration of slow-twitch muscle fibers, perfect for repetitive, long-term use. Classic ergonomic walking means there is a natural "falling" with walking in order to position maximum power from the largest muscle in the body. A walking style that is always balanced is slightly inefficient. The glutes push the body forward. The leg the swings forward under its own momentum and the body falls slightly forward, propelling the leg to swing forward and the body to move ahead.

[@ToddMartinMD]

Why does the glutes being a large muscle have anything to do with when you use it? On flat ground walking you are not moving against any resistance. There is no need for power, you are working in cooperation with gravity. We do need the glutes to push up when walking up stairs, walking up a hill, or propelling the body off the ground in running. Do you imagine you need your glutes to push when walking downhill? Of course not. The same applies for level ground. The easiest way to prove this is walking taking the final step up a flight of stairs. You are using your glutes to push up after the final step. When you reach standing height, your glutes are in full activation. How then do you use your glutes to step forward? You don't. You use the hip flexors to walk forward after using the glutes to push up. There should also be NO falling forward. The posture should be 100% vertical the whole time when walking. The idea that we are leaning forward to fall and the catching ourselves is completely wrong and leads to people crashing into their heel.

[@e.k9358]

i had experimented with different types of walking and running over many years. I fully agree with Todd Martin, pulling instead of pushing creates more balanced and efficient way of walking. By pushing and using the glutes is also more likely to lead to muscle and postural imbalances.

[@ToddMartinMD]

@@e.k9358 Thanks Elena

[@edwinyeong1867]

Really good..I feel later less knee pain

[@ToddMartinMD]

Great. Thanks

[@matteobarsottini447]

Great video 😊

[@ToddMartinMD]

Thanks! 😊

[@lucagian9801]

brilliant

[@berndwildner-vd1vd]

Super

[@ToddMartinMD]

Thanks

[@heyfrej7618]

When you say hip flexors, do you mean the quads and the psoas? Cheers.

[@ToddMartinMD]

Generally speaking the psoas, not so much the quads because I am referring to the muscles of the core, not the more distal muscles. I also try not to focus so much on naming muscles as naming actions. So when I talk about the hip flexors what I am conveying is that you need to actively flex your hip to make the movement happen. There may be a component of quad action present but I am not trying to convey attempting to extend the knee at the same time as flexing the hip.

[@SuperBond113]

how do you shift weight from side to side if not the gluts?

[@ToddMartinMD]

There are two ways to shift weight. The first is to use your lower abs to rotate toward the leg you are shifting weight to. When you shift to the left leg, you activate the lower abs on the left, which turn your lumbar spine and pelvis to the left and tuck the pelvis on the left, rooting the left leg. While doing that, you flex your right hip, lifting the right leg, which allows the shift of the whole body. This is what we do when we walk on flat ground where you do not have to overcome gravity. the second way is to do the same action of the lower abs while extending the right hip, using the glutes. We do this when we have to overcome a force like gravity. Walking uphill would be an example. The glutes are not needed to shift weight in most situations. Imagine walking downhill. Do you need to use your glutes to shift weight to the downhill leg? No. You use the lower abs to shift the spine over the downhill leg while flexing the rear hip to release it from the ground. The same thing applies on flat ground.

[@a.amanning7631]

❤

[@ToddMartinMD]

Thanks

[@msinbalony]

Wow.. I don't understand this. How frustrating. What's the bottom line here, I'm trying to understand.. how SHOULD we walk? how should we actually put down our foot? and why is it relevant how you walk sideways if it's a completely other mechanism and in any case we usually walk forward.. I understand why the glutes don't need to be used, but I don't understand what does need to be used and how to ACTUALLY do it.

[@ToddMartinMD]

You use the upper and lower abs and the hip flexors. This video should help. The Psoas-The Most Overlooked Muscle in Walking: How to Walk Properly kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGTWo4SIbcuad7M

[@msinbalony]

@@ToddMartinMD Thank you so much for the quick response.. I'll watch that one two. It's crazy, I feel much more comfortable running than walking.. walking feels so awkward lately, like I don't know how to do it..

[@ToddMartinMD]

@@msinbalony I hope the videos help. The good news is you are aware it is something to work on. Most people don't even think about it and end up with worn out knees and hips and feet before they even know there is an issue.

[@msinbalony]

@@ToddMartinMD True, it is the good news.. I hope I finally get this. So many opinions on something that should have been so intuitive to us 🙄