Once you are in tune with what a natural walking pattern is, you’ll notice that almost all adults walk robotically. And this roboticism leads to joint pain and deterioration, especially in the hips, lower back, knees and feet.
And here’s what is truly mind boggling: Most people have no awareness of how they look when they are walking.
About seven years ago, I started working with a man who walked with one foot going forward and the other foot going sideways. You would think this is something that couldn’t escape his awareness, yet this man had no clue until I pointed it out to him.
Correcting this man’s gait going forward would be no easy task because he had a lifetime of improper walking mechanics stored in his nervous system. But when I turned him around and got him going in reverse, whatdyaknow, his feet naturally fell into line and pointed forward. How bout that?
As he followed the reverse patterns I mapped out for him, the tricks I taught him led to the elimination of the joint pain that was causing him to walk improperly. Over time he was able to teach himself how to walk forward without causing himself any additional harm.
Now, why do I say that walking forward is bad for you?
It’s because, as infants, we started out with natural walking mechanics. But then we unconsciously began walking the way our parents walked.
What’s wrong with that?
Well, nothing if your parents were functionally fit athletes who were internally connected. Chances are that is not the case, so it is a good bet that you unknowingly copied a way of walking that is a treadmill to nowhere.
You can attempt to correct your walking patterns by going forward, but it’s hard to do, especially when you’re in pain or walk incorrectly to compensate for pain.
By going in reverse, you instantly eliminate bad habits; you begin to ameliorate the trauma you’re unwittingly causing to your joints. As the pain in the joints lessens, you notice that your gait improves in all directions.
On top of the above, you feel exhilarated when you train in reverse. Gong backward is far better for your brain and nervous system, causing neurogenesis in a way that cannot be matched by a daily forward march.
When you finish your Dao Zou workout, you will also note how your blood feels as though it is percolating instead of pumping. You will probably notice how you are truly vibrating on a different wavelength, one that is palpable.
As a result, you may end up sleeping better and dreaming bigger.
Then there’s that “feel good” component. You can walk three to five miles forward in an attempt to make yourself feel better. And you will, to a degree, even though your joints are paying a ponderous price.
But when you put in 1/4 mile or more backwards, you realize that there’s something to what el Furecat has been saying about Dao Zou for all these years.
If you want to be an azz-kicker, do Dao Zou daily. It truly is a game and a life-changer.
Matt Furey
