Two particular phases of walking, gait initiation and termination, are essential to understanding how the center of pressure and center of mass normally operate in an asymptomatic subject and better understand the influence of the pathology.
Gait initiation defines the transition from standing posture to walking in which a precise control of the center of pressure is required to accelerate the center of mass in the direction of advance. This task is so present in our daily life and integrated by the central nervous system that we don’t pay much attention to it, but it’s surprisingly complicated to achieve. An unsteady transitional period that happens between two stable states, quiet standing and steady gait, gait initiation is very important to understand how the center of pressure moves when we start and stop walking.
In regards to its analysis, the initiation is separated into two phases, anticipatory postural adjustments, or release phase, and an execution phase. The separation between the two phases happens when the starting limb enters into swing phase.
Watch this video to learn the specific movements in gait initiation and termination, and how the center of pressure and mass operate during these phases.