Feet Don’t Fail Me Now!

Let’s talk about feet.

Feet are the foundation of our bodies, yet they often get the least amount of attention.

Fun facts:

• Your feet are home to more than a 1/4 of bones in your body.
• We have 26 bones, 33 joints, 19 muscles and tendons, and 107 ligaments in each foot.
• Our feet are made to be natural shock absorbers.
• Our feet contain more sweat glands than any part of our body.
• The more cushioned the shoe, the less your foot can feel the ground

Feet do not get enough attention.

They are kept in tight, stiff, hot shoes all day long.

They are squished, sweaty, and sore by the time we take our shoes off. 

Now that you are home from work, let’s take off your shoes and socks, give them a little foot rub and let them breathe.

This month on my social channels I will talk all about feet, how to strength, stretch and care for our feet. 

Let’s start with waking them up, or “foot wiping” as Helen Hall calls it on her recent podcast with Dr. Rangan Chattergee. This is a simple technique of wiping your feet on a coarse surface can decrease reactivity and ticklishness, leading to less pain and fatigue at the end of your day. She also talks about spending time barefoot in the grass to decrease sensitivity and strengthen our feet. 

Everything is connected. If you have pain in your lower extremities and you have not addressed your feet, please do.

Simple ways help your feet:

Walk barefoot inside and out

Wear shoes that allow your feet to spread out (Have a bunion? Your shoes might be too narrow.)

Toe Yoga daily (click for video demo)

Banded toe strengthener (click for video demo)

Calf raises: try standing or seated

Proceed with caution

Please move slowly.

If you rarely go barefoot, please start with 15-30 minutes per day without shoes.

If you have been wearing very supportive, stiff soled shoes for many years, transition SLOWLY to more minimal shoes. 

Does this all sound a bit overwhelming?

Let’s set up some time to meet and create a plan to strengthen your feet.