Hi,

Gait characteristics are influenced by the shape, position and function of neuromuscular and musculoskeletal structures as well as by the ligamentous and

capsular constraints of the joints. The primary goal is energy efficiency in progression using a stable kinetic chain of joints and limb segments that work congruently to transport the passenger  unit—head, arms and trunk. The gait cycle is the period of time between any two identical events in the walking cycle. Each gait cycle is divided into two periods, stance and swing. In the other hand, process of walking concerns is to the motor control and especially the movement organization. Each strategy to be adopted in each case, mainly in the preparation of the nervous and muscular system. The process of walking is the moment in that the subject organizes all actions to be taken to achieve a movement most effective possible.

Hope it's useful!

I do understand the aspects of gait analysis. I just wanted to know the literal difference between the two. Thanks for answering, Marcelo, but your answer still makes gait and the walking process seem synonymous. 

I think it is the same as saying the 'biomechanics of walking' as opposed to walking. You are trying to define the attributes of the action.

As a podiatrist, passionately engineering  the lower extremity, I think of the many movement patterns that we perform in closed chain that start from stance position.

Forward, backwards.and side to side are some obvious ones. Each of them I would say is a gait pattern that moves us from one place to another.

The forward gait pattern is called walking.If you do that faster, with a float phase, that is called running.

Because our eyes are in the front of our heads, the most logical, energy efficient and injury free method of movement from one place to another is straight ahead, I would consider that walking.

I our eyes were in the back o four heads, we would be walking backwards and our rearfeet would be long and our forefeet short..

Another way of looking at this sophisticated question is any gait represents a style of going from one place to another.

That style can then be changed by changing posture, the tension in our ligaments, our muscle engine balance, function and phasic activity, our CNS input, our weight, exogenetic factors and ???.

So we have heel contact gait, midstance contact gait and forefoot contact gait when discussing the style that one walks in.. .

IMHO, the more you raise and ponder this question, the more questions it will lead to ad infinitum..

In literature I found these definitions: walking can be defined as a repetitious sequence of limb motions that move the body forward while simultaneously maintaining stance stability (Perry, Gait Analyis). Gait refers to the manner or style of walking (Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health). So in my opinion, with "walking" I intend the process of moving, while with "gait" I intend the description of the pattern of walking (joint angular patterns, ability to perform the different functions required for walking (e.g. weight bearing, propulsion etc.) ). I think in literature there is no clear distinction between the two terms, however.

Thank you, Eyyup:

The problem here is that this question, although a good one, has no answer  that allows our science to move onward and upward as EBM based. 

Closed chain biomechanics has reached a plateau as a science because few, if any, high level additions to the literature have surfaced in the past decade (try and name the top ten?).

I believe we can distill this fact down to one foundational problem. After thirty +years, Subtalar Joint Neutral and rearfoot pronation have run their course as the gold standard platforms for evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and research of closed chain biomechanics.

I will start a new question on this topic as I do not wish to divert this interesting topic any further, 

http://www.podiatry.com/ezines/view/3-Profiling-the-Pedal-Snowflakes/509

I agree with all the above answer.Also I have some paper in this field you can visit may page and see these papers

A dictionary definition of is: " a manner of walking or moving on foot" (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gait) with walking defines as: "the action of one that walks" ( https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/walking ) where "walk" is defined as " to move along on foot : advance by steps" ( https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/walks)

In Winter et al. 1987 (The Biomechanics and motor control of human gait), he nicely describes the following "We do not walk as robots, nor do we walk the same as our neighbour. A given person will perform his or her walking pattern in a fairly repeatable and characteristic way, sufficiently unique that it is possible to recognize a person at a distance by their gait.", which aligns nicely with the definitions above, walking is the action whereas gait is the pattern or manner of walking.

Alan:

Your deterministic response (as it applies to research of human movement) lends better to a robot that does nothing but walk.

When you add the variables that exist for human movement and performance of tasks, getting someone to walk optimally or efficiently or injury free may in fact create inefficient, injurious, "satisfactory" compensations to the rest of ones active, weightbearing life.

i.e. setting optimal center of pressure or center of gravity when walking as a goal, may keep a dancer from performing optimally and injury free.

Dennis