Our feet, these relatively small features of our body, significantly affect our posture. Most people never exercise them (and often abuse them in tight shoes) leading to problems in the mid-foot arch, which is going to be excessively rigid or on the contrary can collapse leading to flat feet. In both cases, walking becomes affected. Instead of propelling from the front of the foot and toes in a smooth movement, most people grab the floor with their toes as they walk. This is why so many people develop misshaped toes. Let’s discover how that happens and what you should do to keep your feet (and posture) in good shape.
First of all, try this little movement to feel how your feet affect your posture. Standing up, bare feet, have one foot rolled inward and the other rolled outward. Did you notice how your pelvis has to twist to adapt to this faulty foundation? Now imagine how thousands of steps done with abnormal foot mechanics can affect your over all body posture. This is why taking care of our feet will not only be good for them, it will benefits our entire structure.
If we study the anatomy and function of the foot we discover that the mid foot serves, through its arch, as a shock absorber allowing us to adapt to changing pressures and surfaces. When the mid foot becomes too rigid or looses its arch, it cannot absorb the walking impacts anymore. Other parts of the body like the knees, pelvic joints, and back muscles have to stiffen to accommodate for the loss of proper foot function. That will eventually leads to problems and faster aging in these areas. If you often have painful feet, start to develop a bunion, and you feel that you’re not using your feet properly, it is advised to consult a health professional (chiropractor, physical therapist, osteopath, or orthopedist) trained in postural rehab who will examine your posture, and advise you on proper exercises and the need for insoles. You should also do this simple yet very effective exercise.
Tennis Ball Massage
You’ll need to go to your sport shop and buy a box of tennis balls. Standing straight, step on one ball with your right foot. You can hold yourself to a chair or the wall to keep your balance. Bend a little bit your right knee to keep your pelvis balanced. Now massage the bole of your foot by rolling the ball under. You will feel painful areas indicating soft tissue tightness. Be gentle but be sure to go over all the areas: the heel, the mid foot, and the front foot and toes without forgetting the sides. Do that for duration of ten full breaths. Then, before you proceed to the left foot, and this is important to do, lay your right foot on the ground. Feel how the heel seems to be larger, the arch more relaxed and the toes more into contact with the floor. Now do the left foot. If you do this exercise 3 times per week for 3 weeks, you will loosen up your feet. It is then up to you to found the right shoes to keep your feet comfortable and healthy.
Source: The New Rules of Posture by Mary Bond. Healing Arts Press.
First of all, try this little movement to feel how your feet affect your posture. Standing up, bare feet, have one foot rolled inward and the other rolled outward. Did you notice how your pelvis has to twist to adapt to this faulty foundation? Now imagine how thousands of steps done with abnormal foot mechanics can affect your over all body posture. This is why taking care of our feet will not only be good for them, it will benefits our entire structure.
If we study the anatomy and function of the foot we discover that the mid foot serves, through its arch, as a shock absorber allowing us to adapt to changing pressures and surfaces. When the mid foot becomes too rigid or looses its arch, it cannot absorb the walking impacts anymore. Other parts of the body like the knees, pelvic joints, and back muscles have to stiffen to accommodate for the loss of proper foot function. That will eventually leads to problems and faster aging in these areas. If you often have painful feet, start to develop a bunion, and you feel that you’re not using your feet properly, it is advised to consult a health professional (chiropractor, physical therapist, osteopath, or orthopedist) trained in postural rehab who will examine your posture, and advise you on proper exercises and the need for insoles. You should also do this simple yet very effective exercise.
You’ll need to go to your sport shop and buy a box of tennis balls. Standing straight, step on one ball with your right foot. You can hold yourself to a chair or the wall to keep your balance. Bend a little bit your right knee to keep your pelvis balanced. Now massage the bole of your foot by rolling the ball under. You will feel painful areas indicating soft tissue tightness. Be gentle but be sure to go over all the areas: the heel, the mid foot, and the front foot and toes without forgetting the sides. Do that for duration of ten full breaths. Then, before you proceed to the left foot, and this is important to do, lay your right foot on the ground. Feel how the heel seems to be larger, the arch more relaxed and the toes more into contact with the floor. Now do the left foot. If you do this exercise 3 times per week for 3 weeks, you will loosen up your feet. It is then up to you to found the right shoes to keep your feet comfortable and healthy.
Source: The New Rules of Posture by Mary Bond. Healing Arts Press.
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