I was on my way to the supermarket when the thought crossed my mind.
How many people actually walk by pushing against the ground?
Not kicking it.
Pushing it.
Pressing the sole of the foot into the earth and letting the body move forward.
According to textbooks, it’s one of the most efficient ways to walk.
But honestly?
I find it exhausting.
My feet work.
My calves work.
A lot.
It reminds me that human beings were probably designed to use these muscles far more than most of us do today.
When I walk this way, my knees, hips, and upper body feel surprisingly light.
Almost as if they can simply come along for the ride.
But my feet and calves suddenly become very busy.
The problem is that I can’t do it automatically yet.
After a while, I drift back into my usual way of walking.
My usual walk is much lazier.
My feet land on the ground.
My knees catch my weight.
And that’s about it.
When I pay close attention, I can actually feel the impact traveling upward every time I take a step.
All the way into my lower back.
My hips barely move.
My legs swing forward, but not really backward.
In the moment, it feels wonderfully efficient.
Like I’m saving energy.
But over the years, I’ve met many people through my work who lived inside that kind of “efficient” movement.
Their backs hurt.
Their knees hurt.
Their necks hurt.
It makes me think of the body as a team.
When everyone does their part, nobody has to work too hard.
But sometimes the body feels more like an office where one person is staying late every night.
It’s not that everyone else is lazy.
It’s just that one person got used to doing all the work.
The body can be like that too.
Lately I’ve been trying to let my feet participate more.
I pull my leg slightly behind me from the hip and gently push the ground away.
My stride gets a little longer.
My pace becomes a little quicker.
And muscles I usually ignore start speaking up.
“Hey. We’re here too.”
My feet complain.
My calves complain.
But perhaps they’re only complaining because they’ve been given such a long vacation.
Those were the kinds of thoughts I was having on the way to buy groceries.