Symmetric walking. What does he mean by that?
Alternating feet/arms move together. As in your left foot is forward when your right hand is. aka symmetric gait. Obvious? Well, if you look at people scooting thru a shopping mall, you will confirm this.
So what?
Try putting poles in their hands. About 20% will walk off like a robot. Arms and legs on the same side going forward together. Not natural.
I see that in my Nordic Walking classes all the time. Is that how you walk thru a parking lot? It looks as funny as the person who keeps their arms by their side with no arm swing. (Ref a Seinfeld episode)
So how to correct this? I have them stop and tell them that in the military we always March starting with the left foot. THEN at the same time, reach out slightly and shake a hand. Left foot – right hand go forward. then keep it up – don’t hesitate. Still many have trouble mastering that.
Symmetric walking
Often is it’s because they are gripping the poles and feel they have to do something different. Not true. If you grip the poles, you will degenerate into picking them up and lose the benefits. The hand grips keep the poles coming along for the ride.
If they still don’t “get it,” I get behind them and grab the tips and keep them parallel. Then I control the movement of the poles. They walk and I swing their arms. Feel that rhythm? Symmetric walking / Reciprocal gait in action – forced … but I want them to get it into their muscle memory. After a while I drop the poles and they continue.
Just walk naturally. If they still are robots, I just let it go and focus on the push into the ground.
Carpe Diem