Gait refers to how animals move their limbs, particularly how humans walk. Scientists analyze gaits to classify and treat walking difficulties, improve posture, and prevent injuries. Gait analysis involves observing and recording movements using tools like treadmills, cameras, and sensors.
The term “gait” is used to describe the particular way animals move their limbs as they move across the land under their own power. It is usually used more specifically to describe the way a person walks. Your pace can vary drastically based on your speed and energy level, as well as the specific terrain you are traveling over. The term can also be used to describe a single characteristic method of walking or running that an individual usually performs. For example, someone can be said to have a distinctive gait, recognizably wobbly, awkward, or self-confident.
Scientists, particularly in the fields of biology or life sciences, have worked to scientifically classify, describe, and analyze gaits. Many different variables are considered when examining the methods of movement of a specific animal. Symmetry, for example, is an important aspect of a gait. Animals whose left and right limbs alternate while moving, such as humans, are said to have symmetrical gaits while animals whose right and left legs move together, such as galloping horses, are said to have asymmetrical gaits. An asymmetrical or hopping gait has a hanging phase when both limbs are in the air while symmetrical gaits do not have this phase because one limb is almost always in contact with the ground.
The formalized study of animal movement is called gait analysis. Beyond purely academic concerns, this field is applied to effectively analyze and treat people with walking difficulties by determining the specific nature of their movement problems. Gait analysts may also analyze athletes to recommend improvements in their posture or to make recommendations related to injury prevention. There are many different methods and tools that scientists use to analyze an individual’s movements. Intermittent videos and photographs of people walking or running over a certain terrain from a certain predefined perspective, for example, can provide a wealth of information to gait analyzers.
A modern scientist who studies gaits can create an entire laboratory dedicated to gathering and analyzing information about the ways people move. Such a “gait lab” would likely include several treadmills and walkways on which subjects walk or run. It will typically also include cameras that record both normal and infrared video from numerous perspectives. Treadmills and walkways are often equipped with sensors that can detect and record weight distribution. Sensor markers are also typically placed on the subject; these are used to accurately record the movement of its limbs as it moves.
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