Having a supple and strong core is an important part of your walking gait. When you list the pelvis (stand on one leg) the standing side elongates the waist while the lifting side shortens the waist. If your waist and lower back are tight or resist moving and changing shape, then those restrictions may affect how you walk. A simple stretch to do between bouts of walking is the Crescent Stretch. This is essentially a side bend: keep your hips in place stacked over your heels, and tilt to the side to bring one side of your rib cage closer to the pelvis as the other side lengthens away from the pelvis. This will help stretch the muscles on the elongated side. Then to strengthen those same muscles just focus on the waist muscles contracting to bring your body upright. To add a little more load for a deeper stretch and strengthening activity, just extend your arms overhead while you create the "c" curve of your side bend.

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