Qi Gong “calf and thigh walking form” for more shapely legs

I have given this Qi Gong walking form a slightly humorous title, but as you will see it will indeed give you more shapely legs, and have other benefits besides!

This walking form places emphasis purely upon the mechanical dynamics of walking, and is based around the observation that, if you walk with the weight of your body more towards the front of your feet you will be exercising the muscles in your calves, whereas if you tend to walk with your weight more towards your heals, then you will be exercising and developing the shape and lines of your thighs. So, this walking form sees us consciously using the whole of the sole of each foot with each step, thereby giving a workout to both our thighs and calves equally.

The benefits of this are not just aesthetic, from a Qi Gong point of view it is important to keep the legs well exercised and healthy, as they form the foundation of our bodies strength and stability. Also, they (along with the feet) are the parts of our body farthest away from our heart and so regular, well rounded movement and exercise of all the leg muscles helps the heart to circulate blood to the legs effectively. So, this walking form we can say helps us to develop well rounded leg strength, helps our circulation and as a bonus can make our legs look nicer aesthetically! The other good thing about this form is that you can just integrate it into your daily walking around; it is just a matter of adjusting your walking style consciously to incorporate it.

Qi Gong calf and thigh walking

As you step forward with your left foot consciously make sure that your foot lands with the weight upon the heel. By the time you get to your midstep, the whole of your left sole should be squarely on the ground. As you get toward the end of your stride, consciously shift the weight of your body onto the front pads and toes of your left foot, so that you can feel the calf muscle flexing gently as the left foot lifts off the floor.

As your left foot has been lifting, your right foot will have been striding forward. So, as it does so you just need to do the same thing as you did with your left foot: Before it hits that ground, raise the toes and front pads of your right foot slightly, so that it lands with the weight of your body on the heel. By the time you get to your midstep, the whole of your right sole should be squarely on the ground. As you get toward the end of your stride, consciously shift the weight of your body onto the front pads and toes of your right foot, so that you can feel the calf muscle flexing gently as the right foot lifts off the floor.

So, that is the basic technique, it is just a matter of then repeating this pattern so that each time one foot strides forward the body weight lands toward the heel (exercising the thighs) and then as you lift off at the end of your step, the front pads and toes push off, thus exercising the calves. As I mentioned, it can be done as you are walking around doing your daily tasks, but it can also be slowed down a little and done as a contemplative walking form in a quiet space, taking the technique as the point of focus for developing a relaxed and meditative state of mind.

©Toby Ouvry 2010, please do not reproduce without permission.