A normal gait involves the foot absorbing shock during walking or running. The gait is divided into two phases: stance and swing. Flat feet or too much arch can cause pain and other conditions. The swing phase prepares the foot to complete the gait.
A normal gait occurs when a person’s running or walking cycle is such that the foot adequately absorbs shock. If a person does not have a normal gait, pain and other conditions can occur. A person’s gait is divided into two phases: the stance phase and the swing phase. During these phases, the foot must touch the ground in a certain way in order to achieve a correct gait.
The stance phase of a normal gait comprises approximately 60% of the entire walking cycle and less for a running cycle. Advance from the moment one heel touches the ground to the moment the big toe leaves the ground. In a correct gait, the heel will strike the floor on the outside back, i.e. the outside back, part of the foot. After the heel strikes, the center of the foot touches the ground. As walking progresses, the foot will lengthen and then stiffen to help a person move forward.
If the arch of the foot is too low, a person is said to have flat feet. Without proper arch, the foot is unable to propel a person forward properly, and the hip and knee may not be properly aligned when walking or running. Flat feet can cause back pain, bunions, calluses and hammer toes as the body tries to compensate for the uneven gait. Conversely, a person with too much arch may run into problems because the foot doesn’t flatten enough to absorb the shock exerted on the joints and bones during walking or running. The consequences of this anomaly include susceptibility to tibia splits, stress fractures to various bones, and sprained ankles.
In a normal gait, after the center of the foot touches the ground, the toes strike. Once the entire foot is on the ground, the person should balance on the foot as the other foot moves forward. During this time, your entire body weight is on one foot. As the other foot swings forward, body weight is shifted forward until the other foot touches the ground and the heel of the first foot begins to lift. At this point in the gait, both feet are on the floor in a state called terminal double stance, and the body shifts its weight from one foot to the other.
The other 40% of a normal gait is the swing phase. During this phase, the foot swings forward and prepares to strike the heel and complete normal gait. Usually, when the foot leaves the ground, the weight of the body should go from the little toe area to the big toe. This means that in a normal gait, the outside heel should hit the ground first and the big toe should leave the ground last. While running, the floating phase, a subphase in which neither foot touches the ground, is added to the swing phase.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
