Born to Walk. Myofascial Efficiency and the Body in Movement

Born to Walk is designed to help movement therapists, physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, massage therapists, and bodyworkers understand gait and its mechanics, and will appeal to anyone with an interest in evolution and movement. It offers a concise model for understanding the complexity of movement while gaining a deeper insight into the physiology and mechanics of the walking process.

This second and revised edition provides new research on assessment, diagnosis, and treatment approaches to enhance gait efficiency. Changes include:

• Updated information and research on myofascial continuities
• More clearly arranged according to planes of movement
• New informative illustrations based on phases of gait with EMG readings
• Clear listing of the ‘Essential Events’

The ability to walk upright on two legs is one of the major traits distinguishing us as humans, In Born to Walk, author James Earls explores the mystery of walking’s evolution by describing the complex mechanisms enabling us to be efficient in bipedal gait. His model uses the latest research in paleoanthropology, sports medicine and anatomy, coupled with a functional understanding of the human form, to demonstrate how the whole body collaborates as an interconnected unit in walking, Earls explores the efficiency which is part of our natural design, distilling the complex actions into a simple sequence of “essential events” that engage the myofascia and utilize its full potential.

Born to Walk helps identify areas of the body that, if dysfunctional, may reduce efficiency of gait. With this knowledge we can help ourselves and our clients regain a flowing elasticity within gait.

James Earls is a writer, lecturer, and bodywork practitioner specializing in functional movement and structural integration He is the director of Born to Move, an education platform teaching real-life anatomy for movement and manual therapists, and is a popular presenter at conferences and workshops around the world. Earls is the coauthor, with Thomas Myers, of Fascial Release for Structural Balance. He also writes regularly for professional magazines and journals, and has collaborated with many authors in the production of their titles.