Muscles & Bones involved in WalkingLocomotion is the ability to move from one place to another. In humans, walking is the main method of locomotion. Walking involves all the joints of the lower limb, and is characterised by an inverted pendulum motion, in which the body vaults over the non-moving limb.Walking is a cycle which contains 2 phases:1) Stance phase: Accounts for 60% of the gait cycle. It can be divided into the heel strike, support and toe-off phases.2) Swing phase: Accounts for 40% of the cycle. It can be divided into the leg lift and swing phases.

Overall, there are 5 stages in walking:1) Heel Strike:- In the heel-strike stage, the foot hits the ground heel first. There are three muscles/muscle sets involved, each muscle acting at a different joint: Gluteus maximus acts on the hip to decelerate the lower limb Quadriceps femoris-keeps the leg extended at the knee and hip Anterior compartment of the leg maintains the ankle dorsiflexion, positioning the heel for the strike

2) Support:-After the heel strike stage, the leading leg hits the ground, and the muscles work to cope with the force passing through the leg. This is known as the support stage. Quadriceps femoris-keeps the leg extended, accepting the weight of the body Foot inverters and everters contract in a balanced manner to stabilize the foot Gluteus minimus, medius and tensor fascia lata abduct the lower limb, keeping the pelvis level counteracting the imbalance created byhaving most of the bodyweighton one leg3) Toe-off:-In the toe-off phase, the foot prepares to leave the ground heel first, toes last. Hamstring muscles extends the leg at the hip Quadricepsfemoris-maintains the extended position of the knee Posterior compartment of the leg plantarflexes the ankle. The prime moversinclude gastrocnemius, soleus and tibialis posterior

4) Leg lift:-Once the foot has left the ground, the lower limb is raised in preparation for the swing stage. Iliopsoasand rectus femoris flexes the lower limb at the hip, driving the knee forwards Hamstring muscles flexes the lower limb at the knee joint Anterior compartment of the leg dorsiflexes the ankle

5) Swing:-In the swing phase, the raised leg is propelled forward. This is where the forward motion of the walk occurs. Iliopsoas and rectus femoris keep the hip flexed, resisting gravity as it tries to pull the leg down Quadriceps femoris extends the knee, positioning the foot for landing Anterior compartment of the leg maintains ankle dorsiflexion so that the heel is in place for landingNext, the heel hits the ground, and the whole cycle repeats.The Bones That Support WalkingThe bones that support walking include those of the feet such as the metatarsals, tarsals and the phalanges bones; the ankle bones; bones in the legs that include the femur, fibula, tibia and patella; and the hipbones. Of course, all of these bones support the movement of walking, but additionally, walking helps to fortify the body's skeletal system.

The Nerves That Send the Messages for WalkingThe spinal cord is information central in terms of the nerves involved with walking. The spinal nerves in and at the base of the spinal cord directly affect the walking motion. The specific nerves that support the body's fundamental mobility are the thoracic spinal nerves, lumbar spinal nerves, cervical spinal nerves and the small sacral spinal nerves. All of these nerves work to send neurological messages to the appropriate fibers that allow you to propel yourself forward when you choose to.