Why do we sway our arms when we walk and why do some people only do it with one arm and some with both?

Answer 1

Muscle activity controls the arm swing magnitude and timing during human locomotion. As we change our walking speed, our nervous systems adapt muscle activation patterns to modify arm swinging for the appropriate frequency. When we run, we use our upper limb muscles to swing our arms at a much faster rate than the arms’ natural frequency.

We (humans) swing our arms and legs contralaterally to couterbalance each other. As one hip moves forward, the shoulder above it tends to move backward as a postural reflex. The torso connects the two girdles, hip and shoulder.

Answer 2

It's for balance and also helps with impetus, people seem to swing their arms more fiercely when hurrying. They also do it when running, but generally hold their bent arms up higher. When jumping they tend to hold their arms out more(unless they are skipping with a rope or Irish dancing).

I've not noticed people only swinging one arm, except when holding something. I have no idea why they would do this, otherwise, unless something wrong with the arm?.

Answer 3

Have you tried walking without swaying your arms ?? It looks so silly lol

Answer 4

All animals do that!
There are some that move both right and both left feet at a time, but more that swing left front and right rear and right front and left rear at the same time. We belong to the latter type.

Answer 5

excellent question, I'm totally paranoid about my swing, i remember once at school on of the twins did an impression of me walking and she did this really exaggerated swing...that was years and years ago and I'm still drawn to my arm? wired!

Answer 6

The main and only one cause for this is-- to balance our body against the gravitational force of earth .

When we use left foot to step forward, the wt of our body is supported by it and the c.g. of our body is shifted slightly to forward & to left. Now, balancing wt. of our body on left foot we have to keep our c.g. at the middle of body and for this, we move right hand forward . Just at this moment, our left hand is at backward to do same function ,i.e. keeping c.g. at the axis of our body against the position ( & function) of right leg which is at backward.

Imagine the moment... our left foot & the right hand are at forward and the right foot & left hand are at backward. Since the wt.s of our hands are equal and same for our legs, the result is........a kind of static equilibrium.

Answer 7

Maybe you do that because you're just focusing on the walking and your arms are just hanging there because you don't really think about it, it's just normal. =)

Answer 8

To balance our bodies when walking, animals do it too with their tail.

Answer 9

We would look like gorillaz draggin their knuckles on the ground if we didn't.

Answer 10

It is simply a matter of balance.