Walk for Life (WFL)
"If there's a panacea in Medicine, it's walking." Normal Doidge, MD
What is Walk for Life???Walk for Life is a program in optimal gait dynamics that helps participants learn to walk “the way Nature meant.” Developed by Ruthy Alon, creator of Bones for Life® and founder of the Foundation for Movement Intelligence, this program is based on Ms. Alon’s prior work and 40+ years’ international experience as a Senior Trainer of the Feldenkrais Method of movement re-education.
In this program the use of walking poles not only helps us to maintain equilibrium, but also redistribtes effort, reviving our arms’ primal function — like the front legs of quadrupeds —to produce pressurized impacts into the ground. The resulting counter-force from this pressure [aka GRF, or ground reaction force] thrusts our shoulder blades back toward the vertebrae, helping to restore flexibility in this often stiff, non-negotiable area of our dorsal spine.
Pole usage when walking also increases our vitality, since the non-habitual interaction of the arms with the ground (through their extension via the poles) employs a long lever that boosts the ballistic force we employ for propulsion. For more information from the
Foundation for Movement Intelligence, click here |
WFL is designed for the individual who wants to improve their own capacity with walking and increase their general sense of well being and activity level. It is a remarkable program for those who find their posture is on the decline. The Poles promote weight bearing in the Upper Extremities and address the Thoracic Spine in a unique way, that was previously only available to our 4 Legged Friends!
This class can also be taken by the Professional who would like to continue their Movement Intelligence studies. I find the Walk for Life Program to be a more steam lined version of the Bones for Life Program. Most of the processes are shorter in length and more easily reproducible with those you may be teaching. This class is the first step towards becoming a Certified Teacher of the WFL Program. --Denise Deig, WFL Teacher
"Fast Walking and Environmental Enrichment reduce the loss of Dopamine cells in mice and monkeys. Exercise increases the GDNF (Nerve Growth Factor). Exercise also increases the number of connections between neurons, probably through BDNF, (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) a growth factor that consolidates connections between neurons that wire and fire together. Learning and Exercise maintain and increase brain plasticity. Learning turns on genes that make more BDNF, and in turn BDNF facilitates learning. A sedentary lifestyle is a risk factor for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and degenerative nervous conditions." from The Brain's Way of Healing by Norman Doidge Pages 83-85 |