Where Should You Look When You Walk?

It sounds like a very simple question, but where you look when you walk can have an important effect on your balance, posture and the way you move.

Most of us probably don’t give it much thought. We look down when the ground becomes uneven, turn our head to speak to someone beside us, look up into the trees or perhaps glance down at a phone.

While we’re doing all of this, our brain is working continuously behind the scenes to keep us upright and moving safely.

Your head, eyes and balance work together

Good balance relies on information coming from three main sources:

• Your eyes – helping you understand where you are in relation to your surroundings.
• Your inner ear (vestibular system) – detecting movement and changes in the position of your head.
• Your muscles and joints – providing information about the position and movement of your body.

Your brain continually brings this information together and makes tiny adjustments to help you stay balanced.

When you suddenly look up, down or to the side while continuing to walk, that information changes. Your body then has to respond and adjust while you are still moving.

Is looking down while walking a problem?

Looking at the ground is often completely sensible.

If you’re walking across tree roots, mud, kerbs, stones or uneven ground, you naturally need to check where you’re putting your feet.

But there is a difference between checking the ground ahead and spending most of your walk staring directly at your feet.

Continually looking down can encourage a forward head position and a more rounded posture. It may also reduce your awareness of what’s coming further along the path, giving you less time to anticipate obstacles and adjust your stride.

A useful habit is to scan the path ahead, taking in both the immediate ground and what’s coming further along your route, rather than fixing your eyes on your feet.

What happens when you look up while walking?

There’s a simple way to experience this.

Stand somewhere safe and look straight ahead. Then gently raise your head and look upwards.

You may notice that your sense of balance changes slightly.

Looking upwards changes both the position of your head and the visual information available to your brain. When you do this while walking, your balance system has another challenge to manage.

The same thing happens when you turn your head to look behind you or turn to speak to somebody walking alongside you.

For many of us, these adjustments happen automatically. But maintaining this ability becomes increasingly valuable as we get older.

Why balance becomes particularly important as we age

Balance isn’t one single skill, and it isn’t something we should take for granted.

As we age, changes can occur in our vision, muscle strength, sensation and vestibular system. Our ability to react quickly to an unexpected change can also alter.

That’s one reason strength, balance, coordination and practising movement in different environments are all important for helping us remain active and independent.

Walking itself is valuable, but how we move while we’re walking matters too.

Try this on your next walk

Next time you’re out walking, simply become curious about what your body is doing.

Ask yourself:

Where am I looking?

Am I staring at my feet, or am I scanning the path ahead?

Can I comfortably turn my head while continuing to walk in a straight line?

Can I briefly look from side to side without my walking rhythm changing?

Does my posture change when I look down?

There’s no need to deliberately challenge your balance, particularly on uneven or slippery ground. Simply notice what happens naturally.

You might be surprised by what you discover.

Walking is about more than putting one foot in front of the other

This is one of the reasons our WALX sessions around Leamington and Warwick involve much more than simply covering a certain distance.

Walking over different terrain, changing direction and pace, becoming more aware of posture and incorporating strength, balance and coordination all help us practise physical skills that are useful in everyday life.

And sometimes the smallest changes are the most interesting.

So, on your next walk, every now and again ask yourself:

Where am I looking — and what happens to my walking when I move my head?