The principle of good athletic walking posture is simple. The body should be straight and relaxed throughout the entire stride. The lower back is flat throughout the stride without forward or backward tilt of the pelvis (see figure 1.)

WATCH FOR: Bending forward at the waist (see figure 2.) This strains the lower back and limits hip movement. May be due to muscle weakness or an imbalance in the torso muscles.

Figure 1

WATCH FOR: Sway back (see figure 3). This limits the hip motion and moves the center of gravity backwards. Additionally, it shortens the stride and may lead to legality problems. It may be due to a weakness or tightness of the lower back or abdominal muscles.

WATCH FOR: Excessive forward or backward lean of the whole body. These are potentially injurious and reduce mechanical efficiency.

HEAD POSITION
 

An athletic walker should have their head in a neutral position looking forward down the road. WATCH FOR: Head pointed down (see figure 4). Usually caused by lack of concentration or weak neck muscles, this will eventually this stress may lead to cramps in the neck and shoulders.

Figure 4