Two exercises to improve health of our feet - most overlooked part of human body

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?

Typically we ignore the health of our feet until we can’t. Have you ever broken a toe, even your little pinkie toe, and been surprised at just how painful it is and so debilitating to all movement? The foot consists of 26 bones, which form approximately 33 joints involving well over 120 tendons and ligaments, and over 20 muscles. The feet also have one of the highest concentrations of nerve endings in the body (right up there with the lips), at approximately 7,000 per foot.

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.