Let's talk about feet, baby
Did you know that many people lack control of their feet?
Did you know that foot control is essential for our feet to serve their purpose as a solid foundation to our body?
Let us help you start to build yours.
It’s 2020 and what do most people aim to do around this time every year? Build themselves a solid foundation from the ground up. And that is why we are here to talk about FEET! Even further, we’ll talk about why it’s so important to gain control of the tiny muscles of the foot, aka the intrinsic foot muscles. There are actually 20 muscles that are connected somewhere in the foot, and every one of them is important!
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Obviously our feet are the foundation of the entire body and let us walk, run, and jump! But did you know that they are actually complex structures that serve as deep stabilizers to our body? They quite literally hold us up as our body moves like it does every single day. A lot of us take for granted our feet by ignoring them which can lead to dysfunctional intrinsic control of the foot! This can lead to issues up the chain such as in the ankle, knee and hip - even flat feet or plantar fasciitis. Just think about it - we don’t cage in our hands every day by lacing them up in some shoes - of course not! They are free to move, and we should give our feet that same opportunity as much as possible.
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So how can we gain control of our intrinsic foot muscles? First and foremost, choosing a shoe with a wide toe box is a good place to start. It’s inevitable that we have to wear shoes during some parts of the day, so why not choose one that lets your foot spread out and be way less cramped? My personal favorites are the shoe brand called Altra (you can see my shoe in the video below!). Lems is another great brand to look into! There are plenty of options though if you just give it a quick Google search. Next, let those puppies out of the cage as much as possible! Kick off your shoes and socks and walk around barefoot - I promise they will thank you later. I know that some people wear shoes around the house for stability, so I would encourage those people to especially listen up to the next exercises!
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Here are 2 exercises that I challenge you to implement into your routine that require no equipment. Before I describe the difference between these 2 exercises, note that they both start exactly same. To start either of them, we are going to create what is called a “tripod of stabilization.” This means that you should put equal weight distribution on 3 spots of the foot: the base of the big toe, the base of the pinky toe, and the heel. Once you’ve got that, now lift your toes off the ground (JUST your toes, not the ball of your foot), spread them while in the air, and then put them back on the ground still spread. This can be VERY hard for people who don’t control their foot well, so don’t get discouraged. Instead, master this move before moving on to the rest of the exercises.
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Once you’ve done the set up as explained above, now we can add on 2 different exercises. The first is to keep the 4 outside toes on the ground while lifting your big toe in the air. If you’re a first timer, it may be easier to just focus on exercising one foot at a time. Now, try doing the opposite and keep the big toe on the ground while you lift the other 4 toes into the air. It can be very challenging! If you’re not very good at this, you will be soon. You just have to keep at it because every time you practice, those deep stabilizing muscles of your foot are getting stronger!
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And for the second exercise, start in the same set up as described 2 paragraphs above. Next, pretend there is an imaginary piece of paper under your feet. Now try to scrunch that piece of paper towards you. Keep in mind NOT to claw your toes - they should be spread out and stay on the ground while you are performing this. It won’t look like much, but you’ll feel that inside arch of your foot really working!
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In the office, there is a lot more where that came from. Remember when I said that a lack of foot control can lead to other issues up the chain such as in the ankle, knee and hip? Well, if you come in with an issue in those areas, I am most definitely looking down at how well you control your feet. Though it may seem unrelated, it is quite the opposite most times! If foot control is indeed a weakness for you, we will focus on activating and strengthening the intrinsic muscles of the feet using functional rehabilitation. The exercises in the video are just some of the ones that we give to patients to help regain control and rebuild that arch.
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So give your feet the attention they need this year!
