(Editor's Note: This is the third and final column in a series entitled "Why Are You Running When You Haven't Learned to Walk?")

If I haven't been taught to use my multifidus, pelvic floor and transverse abdominal muscles in concert with each other and my hip flexors are tight from all the running I've been told is good for me, my low back is pulled into hyper-lordosis.

Perhaps my hamstrings are tight because I don't like to do the flexibility part of the wellness equation.

They may well be taut and don't need stretching at all, but strengthening.

If they're tight, my lumbar spine is also being flexed. If they're taut, my lumbar spine may be too extended.

Sometimes one side of the lumbar spine sports an anterior tilt while the other side is pulled posteriorly. The pelvis is also often rotated as well.

Women usually have little or no glute development and often run with a side-to- side shift or swing.

Is it any wonder orthopedic surgeons are seeing us in record numbers?

There is stress on the spine when walking, but not nearly as much. You can still incur chronic injuries from walking with a crooked spine, so beware.

Going out and walking for 90 minutes when you haven't done anything more than channel surf will put you right back on that couch.

As fitness professionals and trainers, it is our responsibility to do at least rudimentary postural, range of motion and movement assessments.

If we're not qualified to do this, we owe it to our clients to refer them out.

Otherwise, the gym can become as dangerous a place as being in a pharmacy and picking a pill because it's a pretty color.

"If you're not assessing, you're only guessing" is another Paul Chek mantra.

Give your body the material it needs from nutritionally dense food so it can replace the millions of cells that die every second. You truly are what you eat.

Hydrate with pure clean water. When you're eating correctly, your brain works better and you'll be able to hear the wisdom there within the cells.

Learn to walk before you run and your spine will take you effortlessly into your twilight years. I plan to ambulate briskly to my grave.

How about you?

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this column are for information only and not intended to replace your current medical protocols. Always consult your health practitioner before undertaking any dietary changes or exercise programs.

Nancy is a CHEK Institute Holistic Lifestyle and Exercise coach and an ACE certified, IDEA awarded Master personal fitness trainer. She helps clients find optimal health and fitness through practical nutrition, holistic conditioning and lifestyle coaching out of her home in SeaTac. For more information contact Nancy at 206-852-4768 or visit her Web site at www.nancyjerominski.com