Two exercises to improve health of our feet - most overlooked part of human body
Ill-fitting shoes and lack of care often lead to foot problems, which can have knock-on effects on the spinal cord and lower body muscles
Many of us spend hours working out our abs and glutes, sweating our way through intensive cardio training, and stretching our way through yoga class. But when is the last time you decided to have a foot workout?
Not only do the feet provide our base of support, historically the feet “talked” to us about terrain and environment, to help us navigate safely and efficiently. By age 70, the average human will have logged 113,000 kilometres walking on their feet (lifestyle dependent).
Yet, well intended parents stuff tiny developing feet into “proper” shoes with ankle support, we beat out miles of pavement running in ill-fitting running shoes, and ladies regularly disable the natural cushioning, shock absorber effect of the feet with the latest fashion in high heels and platforms.
No wonder our beautiful feet are collapsing with fallen arches, bunions on big toe joints (hallux valgus), and pronation or supination (internal and external rolling of the feet and ankles).
To top it off, because of our industrial environment, most shoes are now made with such thick soles that the feet have lost their sensory ability to accurately calibrate footfall for navigation. As a result, most of us stomp our way though walking, running and dancing, applying too much force than necessary, which clearly has referred effects throughout all the joints of the body, even the neck.