How we walk

The gait cycle begins when the heel of 1 foot contacts the ground and ends when the heel of the same foot contacts the ground again. This means one gait cycle is 2 steps, a step by the right foot and a step by the left foot.

Each gait cycle has 2 phases. End of each phase is the beginning of the next.

Phases of the gait cycle

Phase	Begin	End
Stance (60% of the gait cycle)	Heel contact of 1 foot	Toe-off of the same foot
Swing (40% of the gait cycle)	Toe-off of 1 foot	Heel contact of the same foot

Stance phase

Component	Begin	End
Heel contact	Heel contact of 1 foot	Toe-off of the opposite foot
Mid-stance	Toe-off of 1 foot	Heel lift of the opposite foot
Active propulsion	Heel lift of 1 foot	Heel contact of the opposite foot
Passive propulsion	Heel contact of 1 foot	Toe-off of the opposite foot

Take care of your ankles, and they'll take care of you

Why does Nordic Walking Guy say "Don't eat like a teenager"?

Recent research show positive results for beating Type II diabetes with weight loss. It's "associated with the early and sustained improvement in the functioning of pancreatic beta cells."

Key point: "...nearly half of individuals with type 2 diabetes achieved remission to a non-diabetic state after a weight-loss intervention delivered within 6 years of diagnosis."

Main points:

• "...46% of the individuals in the intervention group successfully responded to weight loss in that they recovered and maintained control over blood glucose concentrations."
• "Pancreatic beta cells secrete insulin in two phases in response to an increase in blood glucose concentration. The first phase, which consists of a brief spike lasting approximately 10 minutes, is typically absent in patients with type 2 diabetes. First-phase insulin secretion increased in responders after weight loss but did not change in non-responders."
• "...weight loss normalizes fat metabolism in all individuals with type 2 diabetes."