Do you swing your arms back and forth while walking?

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On tv they brought up how Obama swings his arms when walking and McCain doesn't.

Swinging along the road topic

Like many here, I had to learn to do this, but it does help me to walk faster.

I don't swing my arms when I walk.

Usually no but when I feel like it yes (usually when stimming & I need relaxation).

Yeah, it looks funny if you don't swing your arms while walking. Incidentaly, I am a lifelong arm-swinger.

Ever trip over something?

mine don't naturally swing back and forth unless I take notice and feel wierd about it...then they do. my mom used to tell me I walk like a robot, which is why sometimes I feel wierd about it...little did (or does) she know that she does the same thing ...leans forward a bit too..

when i was younger I held my arms up in front of me like I was a little bunny rabbit...I'm not sure why....if I put them down they would gravitate back to the bunny position...seemingly on their own


if I am running my arms swing because I want them too...but I'm not found running too often.

my hands are either in my pockets or fiddling with my cellphone or MP3 player most of the time. I havent bothered noticing wether i swing my arms or not while walking or running. I do know that sometimes i do it sometimes i dont though, but i dunno what i do most of the time.

Reading these replies felt like when Marty goes over the valley and finds a whole load of zebras in Madagascar when he thought he was the only one! If I may ask, anyone who used to not but now does, how did you get over it?
I'm 14 and I really struggle with this. I've never swung my arms and I'm always being told I'm wierd. I have to hold something or I just clasp them in front of me (kind of like how the royals do, just all the time!). I recently had to join CCF, and that meant I have to learn to march... It's the hardest thing I've ever done. I have amazing sense of rhythm, but I just can't physically coordinate the arms because I'm not used to doing it when I walk!
I desperately want to walk 'normally'. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

When I was in elementary school, I was trained to walk with my arms folded. I tend to do that. Sometimes in front, more often behind since there's a sort of shelf for them.
But I normally bike. If I'm walking, it's probably because I'm carrying something that I couldn't take on my bike, so arms aren't going to be swinging.

Running is different. When I was a kid, I swung my arms hard when I ran. Then I saw that my [autistic] older brother just let his dangle behind him, and I considered how that was a more efficient use of energy and tried to imitate him.
Now I again swing my arms when I run, but at like half the speed my legs are moving. And I think it gives my body the impression that it's actually working less hard than it is, so I don't get tired as fast.

I never swing my arms.

Yes I do

I swing my arms

I swing my arms. It's normal because of the foreward movement of the shoulder that is done as counterforce for the movement of the opposit leg. This makes the walking more dynamically and easier. Just try it. Move the opposite shoulder forward at every foot step and let the arm swing without any power in it. Lean a little bit forward on your feets while walking. The arms start to swing by themself. This is a more dynamical and for this an easier way of walking. Doing it not looks quite strange to people who are used to it. Try it, get used to it and just forget to walk stiff!

PS: Please report whether this helped you for this!

While I'm walking my arms can go either way:
The "T-Rex Arms", as I've heard it referred to before. It's holding them bent at the elbow, usually wringing my hands or cracking my knuckles. This happens most of the time in social situations, so maybe it comes from a place of awkwardness.
Swinging them both back and forth in big swoops. I think this is more like stimming, and it always helps to calm me down when I'm walking somewhere noisy (like by a road).

It's a defense holding of small children that are afraid to be beaten. If you are doing it in social situations it makes you looking awkward. People may stare at you and not accept you as being normal if you do it even if you are a normal nice guy otherwise. You should stop this and just put the hands in your pockets and try to get over your fears.