Walking
hideWalking (also called ambulation) is the main form of animal locomotion on land, distinguished from running and crawling. When carried out in shallow waters, it is usually described as wading and when performed over a steeply rising object or an obstacle it becomes scrambling or climbing. The word walk is descended from the Old English wealcan "to roll".
Walking is generally distinguished from running in that only one foot at a time leaves contact with the ground; for humans and other bipeds, running begins when both feet are off the ground with each step. (This distinction has the status of a formal requirement in competitive walking events, resulting in disqualification at the Olympic level.) For horses and other quadrupedal species, the running gaits may be numerous, and while walking keep three feet at a time on the ground.
The average human child achieves independent walking ability around 11 months old.
While not strictly bipedal, several primarily bipedal human gaits (where the long bones of the arms support at most a small fraction of the body's weight) are generally regarded as variants of walking. These include:
For humans, walking is the main form of transportation without a vehicle or riding animal. An average walking speed is about 5 to 6 km/h (3 to 4 mph), although this depends heavily on factors such as height, weight, age, terrain, surface, load, culture, and fitness. A pedestrian is a person who is walking on a road, sidewalk or path.
For more information about Walking, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with walking
Walking hazard: Cell-phone use -- but not music -- reduces pedestrian safety
Other Sciences / Social Sciences
Nov 16, 2009 |
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Two new studies of pedestrian safety found that using a cell phone while hoofing it can endanger one's health. Older pedestrians, in particular, are impaired when crossing a busy (simulated) street while speaking ...
Exercise makes cigarettes less attractive to smokers
Oct 26, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Exercise can help smokers quit because it makes cigarettes less attractive. A new study from the University of Exeter shows for the first time that exercise can lessen the power of cigarettes ...
Scientists show that people really walk in circles when lost (w/ Video)
Aug 20, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists in the Multisensory Perception and Action Group at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen, Germany, led by Jan Souman and Marc Ernst, have now presented ...
PTs say proper fit and use of walking aids can prevent fall-related injuries in elderly
Jul 10, 2009 |
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The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is urging elderly adults who use canes and walkers as walking aids to be properly assessed and fitted by a physical therapist to avoid fall-related injuries. This advice comes ...
Fear of moving outdoors may shackle an older person home
Apr 16, 2009 |
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Fear may create walking difficulties in a short period of time. Fear of moving outdoors is very common among older people and increases the risk of developing self-reported difficulties in walking.
Survey research looks at attitudes, obstacles to walking and biking to work
Apr 13, 2009 |
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According to researchers with Kansas State University's Physical Activity and Public Health Laboratory, active commuting -- walking or biking to school or work -- can be an easy, effective and efficient way to integrate physical ...
Older adults concern for personal health linked to walking difficulty
Mar 24, 2009 |
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Older adults who worry about their health engage in less physical activity, and those who participate in less activity are more likely to report having difficulty walking, according to a new study.
Children living near green spaces are more active
Mar 12, 2009 |
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Children at high risk of obesity who live near parks and recreation areas are apt to participate in walking activities more often, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Conference on Nutrition, Physical ...
Older Adults Say Cash Might Motivate Them to Walk
Feb 10, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- In 2006, a team of researchers set out to examine what sorts of walking programs and incentives might induce sedentary people over age 50 to put on their sneakers. They found that small cash payments might ...
How does a dog walk? Surprisingly, many of us don't really know
Biology /
Jan 26, 2009 |
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Despite the fact that most of us see our four-legged friends walking around every day, most of us-including many experts in natural history museums and illustrators for veterinary anatomy text books-apparently still don't ...
Exercise improves walking in peripheral arterial disease patients
Jan 14, 2009 |
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Charles Meadows measured his life in footsteps. How far to walk to reach the milk in the grocery store? Could he make it to the dairy case before cramps knifed through his left leg, immobilizing him and leaving him breathless ...
Diabetics with previous foot ulcers may be able to participate in walking program
Jan 13, 2009 |
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More than 20 million Americans are living with diabetes, and that number is expected to increase by more than 5 million by 2010. One complication related to diabetes, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy, (DM+PN), can cause individuals ...
Perception of health and balance has direct impact on walking activity, new study says
Dec 19, 2008 |
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New research out of the University of Pittsburgh indicates that patients' perceptions of their own health and balance have an impact on how much they walk. The study was originally published in Physical Therapy (December 2008), ...
Researchers Study Effectiveness of Robotic Gait-Assisted Therapies for Stroke Victims
Oct 27, 2008 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- When it comes to recovering mobility after a stroke, therapists say that every step counts. Two University of Missouri researchers recently studied robotic gait-assisted therapy to see if ...
Study: Regular walking nearly halves elderly disability risk
Jul 15, 2008 |
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Older adults can decrease their risk of disability and increase their likelihood of maintaining independence by 41 percent by participating in a walking exercise program, according to a new University of Georgia study.
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