The way you walk describes what goes on in your mind. Talk is often cheap, but the way you walk can speak volumes about you, according to body language experts Patti Wood, author of Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, and Eliot Hoppe, communication trainer and author. Although cultural and environmental factors can weigh in, they believe a person’s body language can reflect mood, emotions and even personality (Delange, 2012). This point is also maintained by Radwan (2018) in his article that: “The way you walk doesn’t only reflect some of your personality traits but it also reflects your current mood. If you were feeling happy then most probably you are going to have an energetic walk where your walking speed becomes faster.” Let’s consider some of the common types of walking styles and what they say about you.
The Driver: If you don’t care about bumping into someone when you walk, or if you take quick and forwarding stride with purpose as if you are charging ahead–maybe even multitasking as you walk–then you are classified as a “Driver,” according to Patti Wood. If you are a Driver, also called the Bottom-liner or Get it Done, you possess positivity, prefer brevity and waste no time in making decisions and getting things done. Although you are highly productive, extremely logical, and intelligent, you also tend to turn people off as a result of your competitiveness and aggressiveness. You may also appear a little cold to the people around you, as you are impatient to get things done (NTD, 2017).
Wood advises the Drivers to always slow and take time out of their busy schedule to appreciate the beauty of life. Furthermore, you should cultivate the habit of saying “hello” and make eye contact with the people around you. As you do it occasionally, you will give people the impression that you are not only productive and smart, but also a friendly person to be with (Wood, 2017).
The Influencer: The Influencer walks with his head held high, chest forward and shoulder back. And if you also walk fast, but with liveliness in your steps, you are likely to fall under this category, to which many politicians and celebrities belong. If you are an Influencer, you desire acknowledgement and appreciation. Though you like challenges and enjoy learning about new, exciting experiences, you also get bored easily. You dislike work that requires details or multiple steps. You are an impressive speaker and like to smile, wave, make eye contact and greet people with a warm “hello”. You are fun-loving, convivial, charismatic, and display excellent social skill, but do bear in mind, your loud and attention-seeking personality may be a little too much for some people (NDT, 2017).
Wood’s piece of advice to this set of people is to always tone down their enthusiasm and over-the-top behavior, that is, they should always think before acting. She puts it thus: “Consider your situation. Is it a good time to make your presence known, or is this an opportunity to hold back and defer to others?”
The Supporter: If you walk neither forward or back, carrying your weight over your legs, and make medium-pace and swagger with a confident stride, there’s a high chance you are a Supporter. As a Supporter, you want to get along with others. Similar to an Influencer, you like to gesture, make eye contact and interact with people while walking. You like to be acknowledged, yet you are too humble to accept it. But unlike the expressive Influencer, you won’t wave or shout, as you are warm, friendly, people-oriented and prefer a relaxed pace. You prefer working patiently, but sometimes you can be easily distracted (NDT, 2017).
Wood acknowledges you that if you fall under this category, you have commendable qualities, but people like the Drivers and Influencers may take advantage of you as they see you as weak. Always stay focused when you meet yourself around people you seek to impress, and this would be done successfully.
The Corrector: A careful Corrector is introverted, polite and wants to get things right. So if you are a slow and cautious walker, light on your toes with eyes glued to the floor, then you are likely to fall under this category. As you are cautious, you do not like to use a phone or engage with friends while you walk, and have a tendency to keep your arms close to your side so as not to intrude on others’ personal space. Due to your introverted persona, you are not expressive, keep your view to yourself, and prefer to treat others the same way you like to be treated. You presume that others know what you want, and this may lead to confusion (NDT, 2017).
Wood’s word of advice to people in this category is that, life would be easier if they make effort to be honest in expressing themselves through verbal communication.
The Short Strider: A short strider takes short steps and is likely to be self-centered and undemanding. If you are a woman, your short stride might be due to aches in your calves and hamstrings or a sign of an emerging hip problem. People that fall in this category should forgo high heels (NDT, 2017).
The Arm Crosser: Crossing your arms while walking is an indication of your vulnerability, Hoppe told Huffington Post. If you are the Arm Crosser, it is probable that you live alone or prefer to be alone. If you are a woman, it’s time to uncross your arms while walking, especially at night, as crossing your arms could send the signal that you are weak and an easy prey for assailants. Uncross your arms, walk fast, upright and confident, Hoppe offers the invaluable advice (NDT, 2017).
The Arm Swinger: If you swing your arms on the opposite side of the leg while walking, it means that you are the Arm Swinger. According to Voss, as our arms are connected to our lower backs by a muscle called the “latissimusdorsi”, we tend to swing our arms to support our lower backs when walking. This is a good sign though, because the larger the arm swing, the better is your lower back health. However, if only one of the shoulders swings and the other doesn’t move much, this can be the symptom of a back or neck problem as a result of an inactive lifestyle (NDT, 2017).
References
Delange, J (2012). What Your Walk Says About You: Quick Study. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/08/what-your-walk-says-about-you_n_1497198.html
NDT (2017).10 Walking Styles and What They Reveal About Your Personality and Health. Retrieved from https://mb.ntd.tv/inspiring/stories/10-walking-styles-reveal-personality-health.html
Radwan, M (2018). Walking Style and Personality. Retrieved from https://www.2knowmyself.com/Walking_style_and_personality
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