INTRODUCTION

We are going to be comparing the differences between flat surface treadmill walking and inclined treadmill walking. We would like to determine if walking on an incline affects our trunk position. These possible changes in trunk position could be associated with the development of back problems. This comparison is important to us because we would like to see if walking at an incline would contribute to back problems.

Our purpose is to evaluate the joint angles of hip and shoulder to see if the center of mass is changed when walking on an inclined treadmill. We plan to do this by analyzing one gait cycle. Researchers have shown that "At 12 degrees (incline), walking speed, the product of step length and cadence, decreased significantly in both up and down slope walking (Kawamura K.179)." We believe these changes in gait may account for changes in the center of mass and trunk position.