ChiWalking: Fitness Walking for Lifelong Health and Energy
by Danny Dreyer, Katherine Dreyer
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Book Summary Information
Author: Danny Dreyer, Katherine DreyerEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-03-21
ISBN: 0743267206
Number of pages: 272
Publisher: Fireside
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Book Reviews of ChiWalking: Fitness Walking for Lifelong Health and Energy
Book Review: Danger of knee injury
Summary: 1 Stars
Chi Running is one of my favorite running books because it taught me to run in a way that is effortless and natural. In Chi Walking, running coach Danny Dreyer applies the same principles to walking, but in my experience this does not work. The basic method in both books is to let the body tilt forward slightly so gravity pulls you along. In running this works fine because your feet land more on the toes thus absorbing the weight of the body with no shock. In walking however you land more on the heels or midfoot, so if you are tilted forward falling towards gravity, the full weight of the body slams the knees with each step.
After trying this method of walking for half an hour I was feeling this slamming and tension in my knees, and figured I might be doing it wrong. I carefully reread the instructions and made the forward tilt very slight, tried to land on the midfoot rather than heel, etc., yet still the knees were slammed with each step, and all my back muscles became tense from holding the slight tilt position. After three miles, I stopped because it was quite clear I was forcing my body into an unnatural motion and damaging it.
I looked on Mr. Dreyers blog where he notes that "umpteen" reader have complained that their feet were "slapping the pavement much harder" with this approach. He acknowledges that landing on the heels in this way is indeed "unhealthy for your knees, the slapping can bruise the metatarsal heads." He suggests that a change of technique--landing on the midfoot directly under the body, and twisting the pelvis--will completely eliminate this hazard. In my experience this is simply not true. These corrections slightly soften the bow, but there is still a noticeable shock to the knees on each step (the full weight of the body hits the knees at once instead of rocking onto them).
Mr. Dreyer as pictured in the book is a very light, small-framed person, so he can probably get way with walking like this. A heavier person using this approach regularly will in my opinion almost certainly damage their knees over the long term (or more likely they will stop using it because it feels so jarring and unnatural). The corrections Mr. Dreyer suggests are complex, subtle and insufficient to fully eliminate the increased shock of this method.
In my opinion this is a very risky technique, virtually impossible to use without shocking the legs and knees, hence the one star.
Addendum: The day after my three-mile trial of Chi Walking my knees are aching like I jumped off a ledge. Looking through my racewalking books, all advise upright posture, warning that a forward tilt puts strain on the neck muscles and knees. Ron Laird, who won more national championships than any other racewalker, writes in Fast Walking, "Keep an upright posture with your hips directly underneath you... leaning too far forward from your ankles or waist puts extra pressure on the knee joint."
I think Mr. Dreyer is unwise to assume the many readers who complained are all doing it wrong. They are alerting him that his emphasis on forward leaning is imbalanced and potentially injurious.
Summary of ChiWalking: Fitness Walking for Lifelong Health and Energy
A revolutionary program that blends the health benefits of walking with the core principles of T'ai Chi to deliver maximum physical, mental, and spiritual fitnessThe low-impact health benefits of walking have made it one of the most popular forms of daily exercise. Yet few people experience all the benefits that walking can offer.
In ChiWalking, Danny and Katherine Dreyer, well-known walking and running coaches, teach the walking technique they created that transforms walking from a mundane means of locomotion into an intensely rewarding practice that enhances mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Similar to Pilates, yoga, and T'ai Chi, ChiWalking emphasizes body alignment and mindfulness while strengthening the core muscles of the body.
The five mindful steps of the ChiWalking program will get anyone, regardless of age or athletic ability, into great shape from head to toe, inside and out.
1. Get aligned. Develop great posture and better balance.2. Engage your core. Make back and knee pain disappear.
3. Create balance. Walk faster, farther, and with less effort.
4. Make a choice. Choose from a��� menu of twelve great walks such as the Cardio Walk, the Energizing Walk, or the Walking Meditation, to keep your exercise program fresh.
5. Move forward. Make walking any distance a mindful, enjoyable experience, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned walker.
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