Gait Analysis: How to Check Your Walking Pattern at Home

How can I check my gait at home?

To check your gait at home, you can use a video recording device to capture yourself walking from multiple angles, then analyze the footage by observing key movements of your head, shoulders, arms, torso, pelvis, knees, and feet for symmetry, rhythm, and common deviations.

Understanding Gait: Why Self-Assessment Matters

Gait, or the way you walk, is a complex, rhythmic motion involving almost every joint and muscle in your body. It's a fundamental human movement, and subtle deviations can indicate underlying muscular imbalances, joint stiffness, neurological issues, or compensatory patterns that may lead to pain, injury, or decreased performance over time. While not a substitute for professional clinical analysis, a basic at-home gait check can provide valuable insights into your movement patterns, empowering you to identify potential areas for improvement or concerns that warrant further investigation.

The Fundamentals of Normal Gait Mechanics

Before assessing, it's helpful to understand the ideal. The gait cycle is typically divided into two main phases:

• Stance Phase (approx. 60%): When your foot is in contact with the ground. This includes initial contact (heel strike), loading response, mid-stance, terminal stance (heel off), and pre-swing (toe off).
• Swing Phase (approx. 40%): When your foot is not in contact with the ground. This includes initial swing, mid-swing, and terminal swing.

Ideally, your gait should be:

• Symmetrical: Left and right sides moving in a mirrored fashion.
• Rhythmic: A consistent, smooth cadence.
• Efficient: Minimal extraneous movement, allowing for forward propulsion with ease.
• Balanced: Stable throughout the cycle, maintaining an upright posture.

Essential Tools for At-Home Gait Analysis

You don't need sophisticated equipment for a basic self-assessment. Here's what's helpful:

• Smartphone or Video Camera: Essential for recording.
• Tripod (Optional but Recommended): For stable, consistent camera placement.
• Open Space: A clear, flat area at least 10-15 feet long where you can walk naturally. A treadmill is not ideal for initial analysis as it alters natural gait.
• Comfortable, Form-Fitting Clothing: Avoid baggy clothes that obscure joint movement.
• Barefoot or Minimalist Shoes: For the most natural gait pattern. If analyzing running shoes, wear your typical pair.
• Marker Tape (Optional): To mark starting and ending points, or a line for walking.

Step-by-Step Guide to At-Home Gait Assessment

Follow these steps for a structured and effective self-assessment:

Preparation

1. Choose Your Environment: Select a quiet, well-lit area with enough space to walk freely.
2. Dress Appropriately: Wear snug clothing that allows full visibility of your joints. Consider walking barefoot for a baseline assessment, as shoes can mask certain foot mechanics.
3. Set Up Your Camera: Position your camera on a stable surface (tripod is best) to capture full body views.
   • Lateral View: Place the camera perpendicular to your walking path, capturing your full body from the side.
   • Posterior View: Place the camera directly behind your walking path, capturing your back.
   • Anterior View (Optional): Place the camera directly in front of your walking path, capturing your front.
4. Practice Walk: Do a few casual walks to get comfortable with the space and avoid feeling self-conscious during recording.

The Recording Process

1. Record Multiple Passes: Walk at your normal, comfortable pace. Do not try to "walk perfectly."
   • Record 3-5 passes from each angle (lateral, posterior, anterior).
   • Ensure each pass captures your entire body for the full length of your walking space.
2. Vary Your Pace (Optional): After your normal pace, try a slightly faster or slower pace to observe how your mechanics change.

The Analysis Process: What to Look For

Review your recorded videos in slow motion, pausing frequently. Focus on one body segment at a time, then integrate your observations.

Head and Shoulders

• Head Position: Is it upright and level, or tilted/rotated? Is it jutting forward (forward head posture)?
• Shoulder Height: Are both shoulders level, or is one higher/lower?
• Shoulder Rotation: Do they rotate smoothly with your torso, or are they stiff/excessively rotated?

Arm Swing

• Symmetry and Rhythm: Do both arms swing equally and symmetrically?
• Range of Motion: Is there a natural, relaxed swing, or are the arms stiff, minimal, or excessively wide?
• Direction: Do the arms swing primarily forward/backward, or is there excessive side-to-side movement?

Torso Rotation

• Smoothness: Does your torso rotate naturally and subtly in opposition to your arm and leg swing?
• Excessive Movement: Is there too much or too little rotation?

Pelvic Stability

• Levelness: Does your pelvis remain relatively level throughout the gait cycle?
• Trendelenburg Sign: Does one side of your pelvis drop significantly when the opposite leg swings forward? This can indicate weakness in the stance leg's hip abductors (e.g., gluteus medius).
• Excessive Rotation/Tilt: Is there an exaggerated forward/backward tilt or rotation?

Knee Tracking

• Alignment: Does your knee track in line with your second toe during the stance phase?
• Valgus/Varus Collapse: Does your knee collapse inward (valgus/knock-kneed) or bow outward (varus/bow-legged) during weight bearing? This is often visible from the posterior or anterior view.
• Hyperextension: Does your knee fully straighten and lock out excessively during the stance phase?

Foot Strike and Rollover

• Initial Contact: How does your foot first contact the ground?
  • Heel Strike: Is it a gentle heel strike, or a hard "slap"?
  • Midfoot/Forefoot Strike: Do you land more on the middle or front of your foot? (Common in runners, but less so for walking).
• Foot Rollover: Does your foot roll smoothly from heel to toe through the stance phase?
• Arch Collapse (Pronation): Does your arch flatten excessively during mid-stance?
• Supination: Does your foot stay rigid and roll along the outside edge?
• Toe Off: Are your toes pushing off effectively? Is there any "toe dragging"?

Overall Symmetry and Rhythm

• Limb Length Discrepancy (Apparent): Does one leg appear shorter, causing a compensatory lean or hip hike?
• Limping/Shuffling: Is there a noticeable limp, or a lack of smooth, fluid movement?
• Cadence: Is your step rate consistent, or is one side noticeably slower?

Common Gait Deviations to Look For

While not exhaustive, here are some common issues you might observe:

• Excessive Pronation: Foot rolls inward excessively, potentially leading to knee, hip, or back pain.
• Excessive Supination: Foot remains rigid, rolling on the outside edge, reducing shock absorption.
• Foot Slap: Foot slaps the ground after heel strike due to weak dorsiflexors.
• Toe Drag: Toes catch on the ground during swing phase, often due to dorsiflexor weakness.
• Trendelenburg Gait: Pelvic drop on the swing leg side, indicating gluteus medius weakness on the stance leg.
• Antalgic Gait: A limping pattern adopted to avoid pain.
• Stiff-Knee Gait: Limited knee flexion during swing, often due to quadriceps spasticity or knee pain.
• Forward Lean: Upper body leans forward, potentially due to core weakness or hip flexor tightness.

Limitations of At-Home Gait Analysis

It's crucial to understand that at-home gait analysis has significant limitations:

• Subjectivity: Your interpretation can be biased or inaccurate without expert knowledge.
• Lack of Quantitative Data: You can't measure ground reaction forces, joint angles, or muscle activation.
• Compensatory Patterns: You might observe a deviation, but not understand its root cause (e.g., knee valgus might stem from hip weakness, not just a knee issue).
• Environmental Factors: Lighting, camera angle, and your self-consciousness can affect the recording.

When to Seek Professional Gait Analysis

While self-assessment is useful, it should not replace expert evaluation. Consider consulting a physical therapist, podiatrist, or sports medicine doctor if you experience:

• Persistent Pain: Especially in your feet, ankles, knees, hips, or lower back during or after walking/running.
• Recurring Injuries: Stress fractures, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, IT band syndrome.
• Noticeable Asymmetries: Significant differences in how your left and right sides move.
• Balance Issues or Frequent Stumbling.
• Difficulty Performing Daily Activities: If your gait impacts your quality of life.
• Preparation for a New Activity: Especially high-impact sports or long-distance running.
• Post-Injury Rehabilitation: To ensure proper movement patterns are restored.

Conclusion

Conducting an at-home gait check using video analysis is an accessible and informative way to become more attuned to your body's movement patterns. By systematically observing key areas from your head to your feet, you can identify asymmetries, inefficiencies, or potential deviations that may warrant further attention. While a valuable tool for self-awareness, remember its limitations and do not hesitate to seek professional guidance for persistent issues or comprehensive assessment. Understanding your gait is a powerful step towards optimizing your movement health and preventing future injuries.