Strong Feet are Key!
This summer I've been on a mission to tackle my foot pain, as some of you may know from last month's Gua Sha newsletter and our last Gua Sha livestream for Foot Pain Relief. For me, plantar fasciitis was the last straw that ingited this passion to learn more. I now believe that my long-term foot issues (aka weak foot bed and ankles) have been the root of my hip pain and cranky knee.
Huge AHA moments listening to foot doctor, Dr. Courtney Conley of Gait Happens on both The Diary of a CEO podcast and The Body Pod with Hailey Happens talk about Why Foot Strength is Key to Balance, Power, and Aging Well. I've since put many of her suggestions into practice and WOW, guess what, NO MORE FOOT PAIN or Big Toe pain, my hips feel stable, and I can sustain walking for longer distances.
Below are nuggets of info gleaned from both talks.
ANATOMICAL FACT: There are tons of receptors in the bottom of the foot that communicate with our body where we are in space.
By age 50 you lose sensitivity to those receptors: it takes 25% more pressure to stimulate these receptors.
By age 80, it takes 75% more pressure to stimulate the receptors! Pair that with sarcopenia (loss of muscle strength) in the foot and oh boy!
Toe Splay is important: the widest part of your foot should be your Toes, NOT your Forefoot. The wider your toe bed, the more stable you are.
Direct correlation between your PELVIS and your FEET. The stronger your foot gets, the stronger you'll be able to load your hip.
Especially your Big Toe - which should be able to extend 65 degrees, because in a walking gait cycle, you need 40-45 degrees extension for push off. When there's decreased range in the big toe, you'll rely on nearby joints to do the work. If you can't roll through your foot, you lose range of motion at the ankle and hip.
A study of Big Toe Strength showed there is synergetic muscle activity of pelvic floor and big toe: When there is stress and holding in the pelvis, it will tighten the feet. Thus, relax your feet to relax your pelvis.
Bunions and hammer toes increase your risk of falling and balance issues.
Low back pain? Culprit could be your feet.
SHOES MATTER: You need to wear functional footwear that allows the foot to do what it was designed to do. A strong foot is meant to carry up to 11x your body weight when running!
Consider this: when you're strength training/lifting weights, would you feel more stable standing on a solid ground or on a pillow?
SIDE NOTE: I know, I have bought my share of Hokas and cushiony athletic shoes, and while they felt immediately comfortable, they were babying my feet and not allowing my foot bed to strengthen. A dear friend of mine threw hers out when she tripped in her Hokas and broke her tibia!
Shoes that have an 8mm heel to toe drop is not the functional position of your foot.
Our shoes shape the bones of our feet - so think of all the pointy shoes you've worn over the years and see if you have bunions or hammer toes now....
RE: Foot Orthodics - there is a time/place for these, esp for acute heel pain or acute plantar faciitis. But have an exit strategy - you don't want to de-load your foot forever (you wouldn't wear an arm cast forever after a break, right?)
What is Functional Footwear? It allows your foot to be in it functional position, to flex and feel the ground.
Wide toe box
Low to Zero drop, with thin, flexible sole
Best to ease into minimal footwear, start with a Neutral sole, then work up to Zero drop. Start with wearing these shoes 5 min/day
Wearing Zero drop shoes for 6 months will help strengthen your feet 50%
SOLUTIONS you can implement right away:
Exercise your feet - the includes MELT Ball Treatments!
Balancing
Calf Raises
Toe Exercises
Wear toe spacers
Wear Functional Footwear - should have a wide toe box
Examples of recommended footwear: Altra Running (a good transition shoe), Vivo Barefoot (zero drop, fun styles), Lems, Topo Athletic (another transition shoe, though I prefer my Altras to Topo)
Banner image: my new Strong Feet protocols - Altra Torin 9 shoe, Gait Happens Toe Strengtheners & Toe Spacers, ToePro® Original - Foot/Ankle Exercise Platform, Vivo Barefoot Womens Primus Trail Knit FG