Walking

Walking, also called ambulation, is one of the main ways that animals with legs get around. It is usually slower than running. When walking, the body balances over stiff legs with each step. This way of moving works for many creatures, even those with lots of legs, like insects. In humans, walking might help reduce the risk of some diseases and help people live longer.

In places like the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, the word "walking" can also mean hiking. In cities around the world, a short trip on foot is simply called a walk.

Difference from running

Main article: Running

See also: Jogging

Walking and running are two ways people and animals move. When we walk, only one foot leaves the ground at a time, and both feet touch the ground. Running is different because both feet leave the ground at the same time.

Walking is usually slower than running. Children often start walking on their own around 11 months old.

Origins

Walking might have started in the water with fish that could move along the sea floor. Over time, this helped animals live on land. Many creatures, like insects and spiders, also learned to walk.

For humans, walking on two legs was a big change. Evidence from Kenya shows that early humans may have walked like we do today as long as 3 million years ago. Human walking saves energy compared to walking on all fours, like some other primates do. This helped early humans travel better and survive.

Variants

Walking can be done in many different ways, each with its own special style.

• Scrambling is a way to climb steep hills or mountains using both hands. It’s a slower, careful kind of walking and sometimes includes a bit of rock climbing.
• Snow shoeing means walking on snow using special shoes called snowshoes. These shoes spread your weight out so you don’t sink into the snow. To snowshoe well, you need to slide your feet instead of taking big steps.
• Cross-country skiing was created as a way to travel through deep snow. Many trails used for hiking in summer can be skied in winter.
• Beach walking is a sport where people walk on sand at the beach. It can be done on firm sand or soft sand, and there are even competitions for walking long distances on soft sand.
• Nordic walking is a fun activity where you walk using special poles, like ski poles. Using these poles makes you use more muscles and gives you a better workout than normal walking.
• Pedestrianism was a popular sport in the past where people tried to walk very long distances. This later evolved into racewalking.
• Speed walking is just fast walking. There are different types, like power walking.
• Power walking is walking at a fast speed, usually between 7 to 9 kilometers per hour. You must always have one foot touching the ground, unlike jogging or running.
• Racewalking is a long-distance race where you must keep one foot touching the ground at all times, just like running but with smaller steps.
• Afghan walking is a way of walking while breathing in a special rhythm. It was developed in the 1980s after someone watched Afghan caravaners who could walk over 60 kilometers in a single day.
• Backward walking is walking facing backwards. It helps improve balance, coordination, and leg strength.
• Walking meditation is a type of meditation done while walking, common in Buddhism.

Biomechanics

Human walking uses a strategy called the double pendulum. When we walk, one leg swings forward from the hip, then touches the ground with the heel and rolls to the toe, acting like an inverted pendulum. The legs work together so that one foot is always touching the ground. Muscles in the calf lift the body’s center, storing potential energy. Then gravity pulls the body forward, changing that stored energy into kinetic energy. This helps walking save energy.

Walking is different from running in a few ways. When walking, one leg always stays on the ground while the other swings. In running, there is usually a moment where both feet leave the ground. In walking, the body moves over the leg on the ground, raising the center of the body higher and then lower. In running, the body’s center is lowest when the leg is straight up. This is because landing in running stores energy in muscles and tendons. There is a maximum speed for walking before a person would lift off the ground, but usually, people start running earlier because it uses energy more efficiently.

Leisure activity

Many people enjoy walking as a fun way to stay active and explore nature. Walking is a simple and relaxing activity that lets people enjoy the outdoors and get some exercise. There are many types of walking, such as hiking, walking on beaches, and walking in hills or forests. Some people walk indoors on special machines called treadmills or use devices to count their steps.

In different places, people have different names for long walks. For example, in Canada and the United States, they often call it hiking, while in New Zealand, it might be called tramping. Walking is also popular in cities, where people might take short walks to see sights or enjoy the surroundings.

There are many groups and organizations that support walking and help people enjoy it. These groups often organize events and trips for people to walk together.

Tourism

Walking tours are popular in many cities, where guides lead groups through historical areas. There are also organized trips to places like the Himalayas for longer walks. Many countries have special paths for walking, such as in Europe, where there are long trails connecting different places. Famous walking routes include the Camino de Santiago and the Way of St. James.

Each year, many countries host walking events. One of the biggest is the International Four Days Marches in the Netherlands, where people walk long distances over four days. In the United States, there are big walks like the Labor Day walk on the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Walk in Maryland. Some walks are done to support charitable causes.

Walkability

Main article: Walkability

In many cities, planners are working to make areas friendlier for walking. This means creating places where people can walk safely and comfortably to do things like shopping or visiting friends. Some areas are designed to be mostly for walking, with special paths and quiet streets close to homes and shops. Cities like Venice in Italy are great examples of places made for walking, with many streets that cars cannot use.

Walking is also a good way to travel without polluting the air, making cities cleaner and healthier. Many cities around the world are trying new ideas to help people walk more, like special paths just for walkers and riders of bicycles.

Flânerie

In big cities like Paris, there is a tradition of people walking around just to enjoy looking at the city and its buildings. These walkers are called flâneurs.

Potential health effects

Walking helps build confidence, energy, and a happy mood. It can also help with weight control and lower stress. Walking can improve memory, learning, and focus, which is good for your health.

Studies show that walking a little more than 2,000 steps a day can lower the chance of serious heart problems. More steps can help even more. Walking about two and a half hours a week can also help stop sad feelings. For people with some health problems, walking can help improve important body numbers and cholesterol levels. Walking might even help you think in new ways.

In robotics

Main article: Robot locomotion

The first walking robots usually had six legs. As technology improved, robots could walk with fewer legs. Now, some robots can walk on just two legs, like ASIMO. Even with better technology, robots still don't walk as smoothly as humans. They often need to keep their knees bent to stay balanced.

In 2009, a Japanese roboticist named Tomotaka Takahashi made a robot called Ropid. This robot could stand up, walk, run, and jump. Many other two-legged walking robots have been made over the years.

Mathematical models

Scientists use math to study how we walk. They have four main ways to do this.

The first way uses simple rules about how our bodies move.

The second way uses special math to copy how muscles and joints work together.

The third way uses computers to find the best ways to move.

The last way copies exactly how we move, without explaining why.

Animals

Main article: Terrestrial locomotion

See also: Gait

Horses

Main article: Horse gait

Horses walk at a steady pace, moving at about 4 miles per hour. When a horse walks, its legs move in a pattern: left hind leg, then left front leg, followed by right hind leg, and finally right front leg. The horse's head and neck move up and down a little to help keep its balance.

Elephants

Elephants can walk forward and backward but cannot trot, jump, or gallop. When walking, their legs move like pendulums, with their hips and shoulders going up and down as each foot touches the ground. At their fastest, elephants can move about 18 km/h, which is faster than most four-legged animals at a walk.

Walking fish

Some fish can move on land for periods of time. These are called walking fish. They can also move along the sea floor, like certain types of fish that use their fins to "walk."

Insects

Insects have six legs and must work together to move well. Scientists have studied how insects like locusts, cockroaches, stick insects, and fruit flies walk.

When moving slowly, insects often use a wave-like pattern where one leg moves at a time. This keeps five legs on the ground and is very stable.

At medium speeds, insects may move two legs at once, with the legs on opposite sides of the body moving together.

When moving quickly, insects often use a tripod pattern where three legs move together while the other three stay on the ground. This pattern helps insects adjust if their steps get uneven.