Gait Patterns and Why They Matter

For most people, the way we walk is unconscious in terms of gait, foot fall, and weight distribution of the body. However, our gait and body movement communicates to the brain the health and status of our body, and affects the central nervous system. Our posture, both in walking, standing, and sitting provides indicators of both the brain as well as the body.

What is Cross Crawl Patterning?

This is the movement used when crawling, swimming, running, and walking in which opposite sides of the body are engaged. The left arm and right leg work together along with the right arm and left leg in coordination to maximize the efficiency of the movement. Performing such movement engages the left and right hemispheres of the brain. This helps the electrical impulses and the information they carry pass freely between both sides.

A proper cross crawl pattern not only helps with movement but getting both hemispheres to work together increases cerebral events such as reading, learning a new language, and hand-eye coordination. The physical coordination needed to walk properly requires the best use of the cross crawl pattern.

Numerous studies and documentation demonstrates that effective cross crawl patterning helps to reset the central nervous system. The integration and proper use is the core to the walking pattern, much like the pattern established by crawling. The improvements are considerable when engaging in a proper cross crawl activity

– Improves core strength
– Releases tension
– Enhances hand-eye coordination
– Augments kinesthetic and special awareness

In some ways, it’s like resetting a computer that has been on for a long time. The cross crawl pattern can be seen as a reset, a way to return the mind and body to normal. The improvement of physical coordination, better self-awareness, and the clarity of thought that comes from this activity offers considerable advantages.

Benefits

When you walk, run, swim, or crawl, the engagement of the pattern helps to re-integrate the connections between both hemispheres of the brain. This means that you can essentially “reset” your brain after engaging in other activities simply by walking properly in the cross crawl pattern.

– Better coordination between brain hemispheres
– Improved physical coordination
– Augmented focus on hand-eye coordination
– Overall better performance of both physical and cerebral activities.

In other words, when you engaged in a combination of activities that are both cerebral and physical, you refresh the mind when you walk, run, swim, or crawl. This is the perfect way to release stress, relax the mind, and provide greater focus, so you can approach such activities again. If you’ve been reading for a long time, you can take a walk. If something is frustrating you, go out for a jog.

The proper brain use to learn the cross crawl pattern effectively as children helps develop the brain in terms of physical coordination and cerebral activity as well. The posture related to walking is an essential part of this pattern. This means that any deviation might indicate a physical or mental issue that needs to be addressed.