I started shooting video this summer with my friends Weena and Matt, but never got around to a final edit. I decided to cobble together some of the footage to show off Matts video…
In the slo-mo, we shot Weena walking the way she normally walks (the way most people with heeled shoes walk), landing on the back of the heel. If you look closely you can see the shock-wave going up her leg, hyperextending her knee. In my experience, this can lead to stress on the knee and a stiffening of the subtalar joint (between the heel and ankle). If you’ve gotten used to wearing heeled shoes, you’re probably doing the same thing without even knowing it.
The other thing we played with that we don’t show in the video is how important balance over the knees is. For Weena, the shock-wave really diminished even more when we worked with her knees. When you stand with your knees locked, it’s much easier to hyperextend your knees once you start walking. While you’re standing, even just unlocking your knees until they’re loose can make a big difference once you start walking. Try it and let me know how it goes.
Weena Pauly is an amazing dancer, trainer and a Yoga Therapist and can be found here…
http://www.weenapauly.com/