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How do you recognize a disease in your gait?
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Recent research by scientists has found a link between a person's gait and their sex life. But can a person's gait tell them anything else about themselves?
As it turns out, it can. Indeed, our walking style can become the first symptom of one or another disease.
American scientists have found that a loose gait or too vigorous hip swaying may indicate weak pelvic muscles, which leads to back and leg problems. If you walk like a supermodel on the catwalk, think about whether everything is okay. When a person walks or runs, a small group of muscles is involved in the movement, which helps keep the legs straight. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to weakening of this muscle group.
Cheyne Voss, a physiotherapist at London's TenPhysio, advises strengthening your pelvic muscles in this case, and the best way to do this, in his opinion, is Pilates.
Slow movement can be the first sign of Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, arthritis, the development of dementia, and even indicate a short life expectancy.
According to Dr Tony Redmond, an orthopaedic surgeon at the University of Leeds, a healthy young person walks at an average speed of 1.2 and 1.4 metres per second. But if you start to suffer from, say, arthritis, your walking speed will drop significantly. Typically, people with joint problems walk at a speed of less than one metre per second.
Walking speed can also “predict” our life expectancy. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh analyzed the gait of 36,000 people over 65. They identified those who moved slower than half a meter per second. These people had an increased risk of death, and those who walked faster had better health indicators.
A shuffling gait may indicate problems in sex, namely the inability to experience orgasm, osteoarthritis, muscle damage from walking in high heels.
The lack of sway when walking is most likely a consequence of neck or back diseases. This is often caused by a sedentary lifestyle.
Limping can be a sign of osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, and can also be caused by carrying heavy bags.
A classic manifestation of hip arthrosis is a lunge on one leg, when the body weight shifts to one side.
Problems with climbing stairs may be experienced by people with osteoarthritis of the knee joint. If you experience pain in the joints of the foot located at the base of the big toes when going up and down stairs, you should see a doctor.
Shuffling your feet on the ground may indicate diabetes, radiculitis and stroke.
The person loses control over his movements and stops lifting his leg high enough, so his steps become blurred and shuffling.
Choreic gait is characterized by changes in body position and limb movement interrupted by sudden excessive movements (chorea) in the limbs and trunk. This gait may appear strange and bizarre. The most common cause is Huntington's disease.
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