Feet – what is their use other than holding us up and finding pretty shoes for?
If we looked at an anatomy chart it would tell us that there are some 30+ bones in each foot as well as a whole lot of muscles. They are arranged in a sophisticated structure so that they can help us balance, absorb shock and propel us forward.
Nature being the way she is doesn’t waste anything and doesn’t produce anything useless. That includes our feet.
Every joint in our feet had a purpose and the only way to maximize performance – even just in life – is to have them all working in the way they are designed to. One example of this would be to be able to move the joints between the toes and the rest of the foot to their full range. You can try this out by kneeling on the floor and tucking your toes under so they point forward towards your knees. Sit back onto you heels. Can you get the whole ball of your foot on the floor?
Or is there some stiffness….
Can you separate each toe from the others without using your hands to do it? How are you at picking something up from the floor with your feet?
I have found not only for myself but others as well that often the toes don’t work the way they should any more. This has impact on how we walk, our balance and flows over into areas like spring, ability to tip toe (needed for ballroom dancing, reaching higher than you are tall) and even getting up from the floor in a lunge or stepping up onto something higher.
Every time I have worked with clients on their foot mobility these other areas have improved out of sight without spending extra time training them.
So the moral of the story?
Look out for your feet and appreciate what they do for you. Help them work properly by checking in and moving all the joints of your feet through their full range.
Take note how much better you feel.
P.S.
If you like pretty shoes (as I do) be extra mindful. Enjoy your shoes, but allow your feet to enjoy some freedom as well to offset the confinement and strange angles shoes seem to force feet into. And limit your time in restrictive shoes. This goes for both – male and female shoes.