I'm talking about how you walk.
Yes, the unorthodox safety hack is the activity just about everybody does every day: walking. Most people wouldn't really think much about the way they walk, but it's actually one of the best means of non-verbal communication you can employ.
Before we continue, you know when you look up a recipe online and there's this massive story that comes before the actual recipe and you have scroll for what seems like a whole minute before you get to where you want to be? Well, this post may be a bit like that, as I have legit walking experience (this will be explained!) and will be able to best explain how it helps you when you travel solo. If you feel like I'm talking too much about my own experience, feel free to hit your "ctrl+F" key and use the word "business" to scoot down to the real meat of this post, which is how to perfect your walk.
Also, as usual, this post is mostly geared toward women, but I'm sure you men can probably pick up a couple of pointers to help yourself out as well, or even pass out to family or friends.
Why is my walk so important?
How many animal documentaries have you seen about predators? They always go for the weak prey first. Believe it or not, how a human being walks can determine if they are easy prey or to be left alone. If you walk too passively or meekly, you could come off as appearing weak, which can attract predators.
Your walk is the most important and least likely weapon for you to utilize when traveling, or even going to local events, by yourself. As I stated before, it can be used as a method of non-verbal communication when you pay attention to and adapt your walk. With the right techniques, you can let everyone around you know that you are not prey.
What I have learned about walking
Long before I because a solo traveler, I became an actor, which opened doors for me to also become a model, both professions relying heavily on how you walk.
One of my favorite runway shots, taken not by a professional, but by another model's mom!
When it comes to being an actor, it's more than just standing onstage or in front of a camera and emoting; it's allowing yourself to physically and mentally become a character.
One of the best examples of transforming yourself for a role would be with the Joker
To completely lose yourself in a character you need to be willing to alter yourself and not talk or move like yourself. One of the simplest and best ways to get started with changing yourself into someone else is by determining how your character walks. Check out the clip below of Jaime Dornan on the Graham Norton Show discussing his unique personal walk and how he had to learn to adapt it for films he'd been cast in.
I will keep referencing this clip, so you may want to watch it. It's also very funny!
For actors, the way you walk is everything. If you are playing a Jane Austen character, you would walk straight-backed with soft steps so that you could show your status as a high-class woman regardless of your fortune. If you were playing a hardcore, inner-city girl who grew up on the mean streets, the stance would likely be wider with a bit of a strut to demonstrate that you're not to be messed with.
A Walking Example
For our prime example, let's use a movie character whose walk defined her, and how she changed it as the film went on. We're going to take a look at Gracie Hart from Miss Congeniality.
We all remember that scene where she leaves the restaurant with Victor and he remarks on her walk, "I haven't seen a walk like that since Jurassic Park." Her FBI walk is indeed very dinosaur-like with wide strides and an attitude that practically yells that she's not someone to trifle with.
After
taking Victor's advice on gliding, and having a nothing less than miraculous
makeover, Gracie is transformed from a hardened FBI agent to a smooth walking beauty pageant contestant. Look at her dramatic reveal and how she walks: she can easily pass for her undercover role (at least, for a short time).
Though she may have had physical changes she needs to stay undercover, if there's one thing that doesn't change, it's Gracie's attitude. She doesn't have as much of it on display as she does in her previous scenes, but she still has enough for anyone passersby to tell that there's more going on with her than just a pretty face. We'll return to Gracie later.
Walking Aggressively Without Drawing Attention
I'll use myself as the example this time. My walk prior to becoming a solo traveler was fairly confident due to my acting classes focusing on character physicality and runway modeling. I walked with purpose. After becoming a solo traveler, my friend Kiki described my current walk, and I quote: "you walk like you could kick someone and all their teeth would fall out."
Thanks, Kiki!
Her description of my walk does reference a type of aggression, which will bring us back to how to walk correctly. An aggressive walk would usually be visualized by Gracie Hart's FBI strides, but, in reality, it's much simpler than that. It is a normal walk with purpose and a subtly aggressive attitude. A normal walk is first described in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is to "move along by foot;" but when I actually looked this word up I found the third definition by the Farlex Free Dictionary, which is "to conduct oneself or behave in a particular manner." I would form my technique for an aggressive walk on these two definitions.
Now aggression doesn't necessarily need to be channeled into forcefulness or hyper-masculinity. Our friend the Merriam-Webster dictionary describes aggression as this for its primary definition of the word: "a forceful action or procedure (such as an unprovoked attack) especially when intended to dominate or master." The subtle aggression you want to employ would be simply to master your confidence and channel it into focused energy and confidence as you go. Walking like pre-FBI Hart is the example of how not to do that.
With that, channeling subtle aggression into positive energy is key to developing a strong walk. Now human beings are complicated, and everyone is going to have a different walk depending on how they were taught (like Jaime Dornan demonstrated), if they have any current or prior physical ailments, their environment, if they served in the military, had specific lifestyles or hobbies, or even if they're introverted, to name a few examples. Everyone is going to have a different approach to channeling their subtle aggression into their walk, but there are several areas you can focus on to create a strong walk.
Even if you already have what you believe is a strong walk, look at the points I will be making. There's almost always room for improvement, but if you already have a perfect walk, then more power to you.
The Business of Creating a Strong Walk
There will be several points I will be making in this list. For the record, these techniques are what worked for me. Feel free to try out my techniques, but it's very likely you'll be able to find better ones that suit you. If you do, feel free to leave comments at the bottom of my post because I would love to hear about that.
Since this portion will be focused on making your walk stronger, I would strongly suggest finding a gym or dance studio with floor length mirrors where you can observe the way you walk. You'd be surprised at what you see and what you may need to adjust!
#1: Posture
Right here is the most important part of your walk. These days, there is a greater problem involving posture due to excessive bending over phones. For the record, book lovers have had this issue for far longer, so the issue hasn't begun with cell phone users, it's just become more of a problem than before. To start improving your posture, pay attention to whether or not you hunch when you walk.
For more information on how to properly put on a corset, check out this link here.
Walking Backwards on a Treadmill
This one is a little risky, but in my personal experience, it is oddly practical. If you're lucky enough to have a private gym where you live, or a treadmill in your own home, you can practice at your leisure. However, if you only have access to a public gym, this may be a little off-putting with so many other people around; if you are uncomfortable trying this, then don't.
Please read this next part very carefully because walking a treadmill backwards can be tricky. If you try this and can't do it, then stop. Your safety is much more important. If you are adept enough to do this safely, then give it a try, but don't jump right in with the highest setting.
To start walking backwards safely, start the treadmill at a speed half of what you normally do. For example, if the speed you start your walks at is 2.5 MPH, go to 1.2 MPH as your backwards walk is naturally slower than your normal walk. Try this for a bit to ensure that you can walk backwards, then step off the belt onto the deck and turn around to make adjustments.
If you feel you can speed it up, make the speed gradual so you don't overdo it. Then up the incline by 0.5%. Walk this incline for however long you are comfortable, then raise the incline another 0.5% to 1%. Raise the incline 0.5% every few minutes until you reach 3%. If you can still walk backwards at a 3% incline without any issues, continue at that incline for the remainder of your session and ensure that your back is remaining straight as you go. If you're only comfortable at that incline for a short time, feel free to adjust downward to an incline that you walk best at.
The 3% incline is the lowest setting that can begin affecting your posture as you walk backwards. Feel free to raise the incline higher if you so choose. Once you're at a speed and incline you are secure in, continue to walk backwards for 10 minutes. You will notice that your posture will need to stay upright if you are going to walk like this.
Ease your way to slightly higher speeds and inclines if you wish to continue this technique. It will have a marked change on your back if you make it a habit in your workout.
Stiletto Heels
In this day and age, there's stilettos for everybody to wear. I personally hate wearing high heels, but if you want to correct your posture, wearing stiletto heels of a length at least 5 inches high, you will learn that slumping is not an option.
Talk to a military or modeling friends
Don't be afraid to ask for help if none of these previous techniques appear to work! That's the funny thing about walking; we don't really pay attention to how we do it until we need to adapt it or until someone points it out. Jaime Dornan very helpfully pointed this out in the clip I referenced earlier.
Congratulations, you've passed the first part of the course! Now that your walk has you moving along straight and tall, it's time to look at your strides. Back to Gracie Hart, her strides were so long that she walked like a dinosaur. Are your strides unusually long?
Or, do you shuffle along with small strides, taking double the number of steps a normal person would?
As it turns out, having an improper stride can cause physical damage to your legs. If you want to have the best possible walk that will not only make you appear confident but also give you the most stamina so that you can hike up your endurance for all the traveling you'll be doing, you do need to focus on how wide you're walking. The length of your strides can also determine how fast you walk.
I was doing research for this portion but found the absolutely perfect article to assist anyone looking to improve their strides. So, instead of plagiarizing, I'm going to link the article here. They cover every point I was going to make, so take a good look at it, especially the part of the article on "how to achieve a powerful stride without overstriding."
Take time to adapt your strides to a healthy pace and then watch how your speed adapts with it. It will make all the difference in the world.
It's been said before, and it will be said again: attitude is everything. Once you've mastered the posture and strides, your walk should look a little something like this:
Our friend Sharon Stone here is employing our next point: the attitude. Channeling subtle aggression into positive energy is key to embodying a confident attitude. Notice how Sharon moves above: her posture is good, her arms swing naturally, her strides are perfect, her speed is natural, and she is clearly not a woman to be messed with. She exudes confidence as she scans the room, searching for her mark. This, dear readers, is the look we want to go for.
Gracie Hart, on the other hand, is a prime example of channeling a little too much aggression into her attitude. When working on your personal walk, you may want to use Gracie as a jumping off point as the extreme and scaling back to a more moderate look like Sharon Stone above. The difference between these two characters and their walks is not just based on the choices made by the actresses portraying them, but also by the energy they bring to the screen.
Actors, both on film and stage, require energy to provide an entertaining performance for their audience, and often participate in exercises before working to bring their natural energy up. An actor who has low energy tends to put forth a weaker performance, regardless of how talented they are. Positive energy comes from an ability to take control of your nerves and insecurities and mentally transforming them into power to fuel the actions you choose to take or the face you choose to wear to mask insecurities.
Harnessing this natural energy helps to build confidence. And when your walk is confident, you project a strong presence, and in the process you develop an attitude that isn't confrontational, but self-assured. You can conquer the world with an attitude like that!
Try This to Build Confidence
It's natural to struggle with confidence, so if you are one of these people, it's totally understandable; I used to have confidence issues myself. In my training to be a runway model, I had to develop a way to create a more confident walk. Then I remembered a dance class I'd taken years before where the instructor spent a session having us dance to various Michael Jackson songs. The song "The Way You Make Me Feel" was one that made me feel more confident.
When I began landing fashion show gigs, I used this song when I practiced walking for upcoming runway shows. I have another friend who does beauty pageants that uses another Michael Jackson song, "PYT," as her confidence song. It is my belief that there's a song out there for everyone that gives them an immense feeling of confidence in a unique way (although it doesn't necessarily need to be by Michael Jackson).
So, ask yourself, out of all your favorite songs or playlists, is there one that makes you feel more confident, strong, or sexy? If there is one, try listening to it with headphones or earbuds and just feel the song. Try it in private, then try it in public. Heck, I tried it as a social experiment when walking through the gym, and even though I wasn't in great shape, several guys noticed and watched me as I walked while listening to that song.
Now aggression doesn't necessarily need to be channeled into forcefulness or hyper-masculinity. Our friend the Merriam-Webster dictionary describes aggression as this for its primary definition of the word: "a forceful action or procedure (such as an unprovoked attack) especially when intended to dominate or master." The subtle aggression you want to employ would be simply to master your confidence and channel it into focused energy and confidence as you go. Walking like pre-FBI Hart is the example of how not to do that.
With that, channeling subtle aggression into positive energy is key to developing a strong walk. Now human beings are complicated, and everyone is going to have a different walk depending on how they were taught (like Jaime Dornan demonstrated), if they have any current or prior physical ailments, their environment, if they served in the military, had specific lifestyles or hobbies, or even if they're introverted, to name a few examples. Everyone is going to have a different approach to channeling their subtle aggression into their walk, but there are several areas you can focus on to create a strong walk.
Even if you already have what you believe is a strong walk, look at the points I will be making. There's almost always room for improvement, but if you already have a perfect walk, then more power to you.
The Business of Creating a Strong Walk
There will be several points I will be making in this list. For the record, these techniques are what worked for me. Feel free to try out my techniques, but it's very likely you'll be able to find better ones that suit you. If you do, feel free to leave comments at the bottom of my post because I would love to hear about that.
Since this portion will be focused on making your walk stronger, I would strongly suggest finding a gym or dance studio with floor length mirrors where you can observe the way you walk. You'd be surprised at what you see and what you may need to adjust!
#1: Posture
Right here is the most important part of your walk. These days, there is a greater problem involving posture due to excessive bending over phones. For the record, book lovers have had this issue for far longer, so the issue hasn't begun with cell phone users, it's just become more of a problem than before. To start improving your posture, pay attention to whether or not you hunch when you walk.
Preach it, Julie!
If you hunch or shlump at all, the most obvious thing to do is to start sitting straight. And yes, when you're not sitting straight, it does begin as a bit uncomfortable and offers much temptation to sit in a more comfortable position that isn't quite as great for your back. So here are a few ways you can correct your posture.
Balance a Book on Your Head
You've probably seen at least one movie where a girl is being primed to become more ladylike and is balancing various items on her head, particularly books. Believe it or not, this is a proven method.
If you want to try it for yourself, practice with a small book to begin, such as a hardcover children's book that's 50 pages or less. If this is too easy, select another book between 100-400 pages long and walk around your living area with the book on your head. When you walk with a correct posture, the book should remain relatively balanced.
Make sure that you don't start out with a book that's too heavy, because if you are about to travel, you don't want to cause any injuries, especially to your neck. Never practice with a book that is uncomfortably heavy; always stick with one that is a comfortable weight.
Back Braces or Corsets
Book balancing may be one of the most simple and effective ways to correct your posture, but sometimes you may need additional help depending on your physicality or any prior injuries. Back braces are a good alternative, but always make sure to consult with a doctor first as they should be adjusted properly to ensure they don't cause any issues.
If you don't suffer from any back ailments, you may want to try using a corset because they are easier to acquire than a back brace, and often cheaper.
Balance a Book on Your Head
You've probably seen at least one movie where a girl is being primed to become more ladylike and is balancing various items on her head, particularly books. Believe it or not, this is a proven method.
If you want to try it for yourself, practice with a small book to begin, such as a hardcover children's book that's 50 pages or less. If this is too easy, select another book between 100-400 pages long and walk around your living area with the book on your head. When you walk with a correct posture, the book should remain relatively balanced.
Make sure that you don't start out with a book that's too heavy, because if you are about to travel, you don't want to cause any injuries, especially to your neck. Never practice with a book that is uncomfortably heavy; always stick with one that is a comfortable weight.
Back Braces or Corsets
Book balancing may be one of the most simple and effective ways to correct your posture, but sometimes you may need additional help depending on your physicality or any prior injuries. Back braces are a good alternative, but always make sure to consult with a doctor first as they should be adjusted properly to ensure they don't cause any issues.
If you don't suffer from any back ailments, you may want to try using a corset because they are easier to acquire than a back brace, and often cheaper.
Always make sure you have someone to help you properly cinch it
It's very hard to slump while wearing a corset as it covers most of the torso, so it offers support for most of the back, especially when sitting. Make sure it's secure but not too tight so that you can still breathe, and only wear it for a short amount of time if you're not used to wearing them. Try wearing one for 1-2 hours if you're new to wearing them; and if you have worn them before, only wear them for however long you're comfortable doing so.
For more information on how to properly put on a corset, check out this link here.
Walking Backwards on a Treadmill
This one is a little risky, but in my personal experience, it is oddly practical. If you're lucky enough to have a private gym where you live, or a treadmill in your own home, you can practice at your leisure. However, if you only have access to a public gym, this may be a little off-putting with so many other people around; if you are uncomfortable trying this, then don't.
And please, be very careful!
Please read this next part very carefully because walking a treadmill backwards can be tricky. If you try this and can't do it, then stop. Your safety is much more important. If you are adept enough to do this safely, then give it a try, but don't jump right in with the highest setting.
To start walking backwards safely, start the treadmill at a speed half of what you normally do. For example, if the speed you start your walks at is 2.5 MPH, go to 1.2 MPH as your backwards walk is naturally slower than your normal walk. Try this for a bit to ensure that you can walk backwards, then step off the belt onto the deck and turn around to make adjustments.
If you feel you can speed it up, make the speed gradual so you don't overdo it. Then up the incline by 0.5%. Walk this incline for however long you are comfortable, then raise the incline another 0.5% to 1%. Raise the incline 0.5% every few minutes until you reach 3%. If you can still walk backwards at a 3% incline without any issues, continue at that incline for the remainder of your session and ensure that your back is remaining straight as you go. If you're only comfortable at that incline for a short time, feel free to adjust downward to an incline that you walk best at.
The 3% incline is the lowest setting that can begin affecting your posture as you walk backwards. Feel free to raise the incline higher if you so choose. Once you're at a speed and incline you are secure in, continue to walk backwards for 10 minutes. You will notice that your posture will need to stay upright if you are going to walk like this.
Ease your way to slightly higher speeds and inclines if you wish to continue this technique. It will have a marked change on your back if you make it a habit in your workout.
Stiletto Heels
In this day and age, there's stilettos for everybody to wear. I personally hate wearing high heels, but if you want to correct your posture, wearing stiletto heels of a length at least 5 inches high, you will learn that slumping is not an option.
But you must practice, or you'll end up like Gracie!
As demonstrated with Gracie, practicing in heels is absolutely necessary in order to walk safely and to learn how to keep your balance when you walk. The ability to balance will also assist you in correcting your posture, so break out those kinky heels from your closet and take them out for a spin! You don't necessarily need to wear them out on the town but walk around your home in them if you feel so inclined. Just be careful on hardwood and linoleum floors.
Heels that are less than 5 inches or are thicker will work as well, but the stilettos will have the best desired effect on your posture and balance once master walking in them.
Talk to a military or modeling friends
Don't be afraid to ask for help if none of these previous techniques appear to work! That's the funny thing about walking; we don't really pay attention to how we do it until we need to adapt it or until someone points it out. Jaime Dornan very helpfully pointed this out in the clip I referenced earlier.
Thanks again, Jaime!
Sometimes a better way for anyone to learn is simply by watching and doing in real time as a visual and kinesthetic learner. If that's you, and you have any friends who served in any branch of the military or are runway models (or both, you'd be surprised at how many models I've come across who used to be in the military). Your military friends learned how to march, and runway models have likely undergone "boot camps" to earn their paychecks.
Trust me, this is harder work than you'd think
Both marching and runway modeling require perfect posture to be effective in their positions. Your friends with this type of training are your best mentors if you want to improve your stance.
#2: Strides
Congratulations, you've passed the first part of the course! Now that your walk has you moving along straight and tall, it's time to look at your strides. Back to Gracie Hart, her strides were so long that she walked like a dinosaur. Are your strides unusually long?
Or, do you shuffle along with small strides, taking double the number of steps a normal person would?
As it turns out, having an improper stride can cause physical damage to your legs. If you want to have the best possible walk that will not only make you appear confident but also give you the most stamina so that you can hike up your endurance for all the traveling you'll be doing, you do need to focus on how wide you're walking. The length of your strides can also determine how fast you walk.
I was doing research for this portion but found the absolutely perfect article to assist anyone looking to improve their strides. So, instead of plagiarizing, I'm going to link the article here. They cover every point I was going to make, so take a good look at it, especially the part of the article on "how to achieve a powerful stride without overstriding."
Take time to adapt your strides to a healthy pace and then watch how your speed adapts with it. It will make all the difference in the world.
#3: Attitude
It's been said before, and it will be said again: attitude is everything. Once you've mastered the posture and strides, your walk should look a little something like this:
Our friend Sharon Stone here is employing our next point: the attitude. Channeling subtle aggression into positive energy is key to embodying a confident attitude. Notice how Sharon moves above: her posture is good, her arms swing naturally, her strides are perfect, her speed is natural, and she is clearly not a woman to be messed with. She exudes confidence as she scans the room, searching for her mark. This, dear readers, is the look we want to go for.
Gracie Hart, on the other hand, is a prime example of channeling a little too much aggression into her attitude. When working on your personal walk, you may want to use Gracie as a jumping off point as the extreme and scaling back to a more moderate look like Sharon Stone above. The difference between these two characters and their walks is not just based on the choices made by the actresses portraying them, but also by the energy they bring to the screen.
Actors, both on film and stage, require energy to provide an entertaining performance for their audience, and often participate in exercises before working to bring their natural energy up. An actor who has low energy tends to put forth a weaker performance, regardless of how talented they are. Positive energy comes from an ability to take control of your nerves and insecurities and mentally transforming them into power to fuel the actions you choose to take or the face you choose to wear to mask insecurities.
Harnessing this natural energy helps to build confidence. And when your walk is confident, you project a strong presence, and in the process you develop an attitude that isn't confrontational, but self-assured. You can conquer the world with an attitude like that!
Try This to Build Confidence
It's natural to struggle with confidence, so if you are one of these people, it's totally understandable; I used to have confidence issues myself. In my training to be a runway model, I had to develop a way to create a more confident walk. Then I remembered a dance class I'd taken years before where the instructor spent a session having us dance to various Michael Jackson songs. The song "The Way You Make Me Feel" was one that made me feel more confident.
When I began landing fashion show gigs, I used this song when I practiced walking for upcoming runway shows. I have another friend who does beauty pageants that uses another Michael Jackson song, "PYT," as her confidence song. It is my belief that there's a song out there for everyone that gives them an immense feeling of confidence in a unique way (although it doesn't necessarily need to be by Michael Jackson).
So, ask yourself, out of all your favorite songs or playlists, is there one that makes you feel more confident, strong, or sexy? If there is one, try listening to it with headphones or earbuds and just feel the song. Try it in private, then try it in public. Heck, I tried it as a social experiment when walking through the gym, and even though I wasn't in great shape, several guys noticed and watched me as I walked while listening to that song.
Rock that song wherever you go!
Always remember that your strong walk won't be complete without a confident attitude. It really is everything.
#4: Focus
Now that you have the skills to put forth a strong walk, there's one more thing that needs to be added: focus. One of the things about having a good walk is that even if you do it right, if you are unfocused it can completely invalidate the confident look you're going for. No matter how confident you are, if you don't know where you're going, it will affect your walk.
It's easy to develop your walking method in an area where you live or are familiar with, so it's best to start out there. Ultimately, it's when you're in an unfamiliar place that your confidence, and thus your walk, begins to wane. This is where you need to focus not on your walk, but on your surroundings.
When traveling by yourself, it's when you're not paying attention that you're most vulnerable.
Fake It Till You Make It
The first time I traveled by myself to Ireland, my natural instinct was to look for anything recognizable when I walked around. I soon found that as I looked down the road I was walking on to reach my destination, I was looking a bit too far out, and I was coming off as too focused, which could also attract attention. So I lowered my sight and focused on my current path.
What I discovered was that when I wasn't quite sure where I was, it was important to simply look like I did. So, instead of keeping my gaze high above everyone else, I looked to the upcoming curb. I kept my eyes up but walked with purpose to reach the edge of the sidewalk to the crosswalk. And when I continued walking, I focused on the next upcoming curb while taking note of any businesses or notable landmarks to mark my position.
It doesn't matter if you don't know where you're going; if you are focused on your path, even to just the end of the street, then you can maintain your confident walk. By focusing on what is coming in your path, you are non-verbally communicating that you know where you're going, though no one will know that it's just to the curb. It's a simple method that makes all the difference in the world.
Put the Cell Phone Away
One the best ways for you to lose focus and become distracted is when you're walking with your cell phone in hand. Friends, when you are traveling alone in an unfamiliar area, this is one of the worst things you can do. Distracted walkers make easy prey, and you are not prey. There's nothing wrong with stopping to take pictures of the landscape or a selfie at a notable landmark, but you need to ensure you're not in anyone's way. If you need to access your phone, get out of the way.
#5: If all else fails, try this
Skipping.
I'm being completely serious here. If you're unable to adapt your walk and you feel threatened, just start skipping. You may look like a fool, but you'll get everyone's attention, so if anything happens, there will be witnesses and odds are pretty high someone will step in to assist. If not, you'll probably weird out whoever it is that could be a threat.
A person who's unafraid to skip in public is too crazy to mess with!
The Last Step
I covered a lot in this blog, and all for a daily activity that we all probably do (love to any disabled readers out there). It really is strange at how much your walk can define you, and even more how it can change you as a person. Yes, you may have to do some unorthodox or even silly exercises to perfect your walk, but believe me, it can mean everything regarding your safety.
Now that you have the skills to put forth a strong walk, there's one more thing that needs to be added: focus. One of the things about having a good walk is that even if you do it right, if you are unfocused it can completely invalidate the confident look you're going for. No matter how confident you are, if you don't know where you're going, it will affect your walk.
It's easy to develop your walking method in an area where you live or are familiar with, so it's best to start out there. Ultimately, it's when you're in an unfamiliar place that your confidence, and thus your walk, begins to wane. This is where you need to focus not on your walk, but on your surroundings.
When traveling by yourself, it's when you're not paying attention that you're most vulnerable.
Fake It Till You Make It
The first time I traveled by myself to Ireland, my natural instinct was to look for anything recognizable when I walked around. I soon found that as I looked down the road I was walking on to reach my destination, I was looking a bit too far out, and I was coming off as too focused, which could also attract attention. So I lowered my sight and focused on my current path.
What I discovered was that when I wasn't quite sure where I was, it was important to simply look like I did. So, instead of keeping my gaze high above everyone else, I looked to the upcoming curb. I kept my eyes up but walked with purpose to reach the edge of the sidewalk to the crosswalk. And when I continued walking, I focused on the next upcoming curb while taking note of any businesses or notable landmarks to mark my position.
It doesn't matter if you don't know where you're going; if you are focused on your path, even to just the end of the street, then you can maintain your confident walk. By focusing on what is coming in your path, you are non-verbally communicating that you know where you're going, though no one will know that it's just to the curb. It's a simple method that makes all the difference in the world.
Put the Cell Phone Away
One the best ways for you to lose focus and become distracted is when you're walking with your cell phone in hand. Friends, when you are traveling alone in an unfamiliar area, this is one of the worst things you can do. Distracted walkers make easy prey, and you are not prey. There's nothing wrong with stopping to take pictures of the landscape or a selfie at a notable landmark, but you need to ensure you're not in anyone's way. If you need to access your phone, get out of the way.
Do NOT let this happen to you!
Your personal safety is far more important than messaging anyone or checking social media. If you need to use your phone for maps or directions, find a coffee shop or a bar.
Do not allow yourself to become distracted by anything when traveling by yourself. Keep your focus on where you're going, even if it's to the end of the street, and keep going.
#5: If all else fails, try this
Skipping.
I'm being completely serious here. If you're unable to adapt your walk and you feel threatened, just start skipping. You may look like a fool, but you'll get everyone's attention, so if anything happens, there will be witnesses and odds are pretty high someone will step in to assist. If not, you'll probably weird out whoever it is that could be a threat.
A person who's unafraid to skip in public is too crazy to mess with!
The Last Step
I covered a lot in this blog, and all for a daily activity that we all probably do (love to any disabled readers out there). It really is strange at how much your walk can define you, and even more how it can change you as a person. Yes, you may have to do some unorthodox or even silly exercises to perfect your walk, but believe me, it can mean everything regarding your safety.
You may also find that in training yourself to walk boldly that you will discover how bold or ridiculous you can be. Embrace the wackiness as you walk! When you're not afraid to look crazy, you'll find that you're unafraid to try things you never thought you'd do before. Be bold, be big, and do everything 100%. Your personal growth may surprise you!
After reading this long post, if you're going to take away the bare minimum, remember these three things to apply to your walk above all else:
1. Attitude is everything.
2. Don't allow yourself to be distracted.
3. You are not prey.
Now get out there and take on the world!
Coming Up Next....
I decided to go a little crazy and book a trip to Dublin, Ireland for St. Patrick's Day! This was a literal last-minute decision, so I've decided to do a travel log to bring updates on the festivities! It'll be interesting with all this Coronavirus stuff going around, but personally, I'm more scared of being hit by a texting driver than contracting that virus.
So, keep an eye out! I'm not sure how much time I'll have to post or what specifically I'll be discussing, but anything I post will likely be short and including pictures. And if I do come across any fun stories or any other travel hacks I hadn't known before, I'll be sure to share them here.
Until then, walk strong!
So, keep an eye out! I'm not sure how much time I'll have to post or what specifically I'll be discussing, but anything I post will likely be short and including pictures. And if I do come across any fun stories or any other travel hacks I hadn't known before, I'll be sure to share them here.
Until then, walk strong!
Images courtesy of Giphy.
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