Arm Swing Challenged

It’s getting warmer outside. When that happens, not only does Al Gore throw a hissy fit, but you’ll see a lot more people outside, especially people jogging. The funny thing about jogging is, well there are a lot of funny things about jogging; but I just realized one today.

When you see someone jog, you can tell instantly if they are in good shape, have a bad knee, and you can even tell their experience level. However, there is one style of running that I noticed today that completely confused my judgment. Something I think should be named the “I don’t move my arms at all when I run” run.

You’ve seen it, hell there has even been an episode on Seinfeld about this. Moving your arms when you walk or run is as natural as wiping after you poop, so it’s amazing to see someone who doesn’t; moving their arms that is.

I saw a guy today who looked very athletic, but for one reason or another he didn’t move his arms when he ran. I couldn’t stop starring. Had I not been driving in the opposite direction, I’m sure I would have followed him all around the city, just to watch his arms, not move.

Throughout the day I started to notice people and how much or little they moved their arms when they walked. I even saw a few people, seemingly purposefully, not moving their arms at all when they walked. I can’t believe I never noticed this before.

I’ve always been a huge fan of people watching, but I’ve never picked up on this, nor have I seen so much. I’ll tell you, I hope I see more arm swing challenged runners and pedestrians. They are fascinating and well worth a stare.