Part of my pandemic learning was getting down to the nitty gritty of foot mechanics.  Pilates has a Foot Corrector and Toe Exerciser, which are fantastic, but it doesn’t break down the multiple movements of the foot as it takes us through the world.  I studied online with a man in England named Gary Ward.  He has amazing classes for everyone if you want to check him out!  The Wake Up Your Feet videos and wedges are life changing if you have foot issues, and you can do it on your own for a very low fee.  I highly recommend it and here’s why.  You have probably heard this before: Your feet are your foundation.  So look at it this way: If you had a crack in the foundation of your home, you would probably do something right quick and in a hurry to fix it.  Your home is your investment.  But your body is just as valuable as your home.  Issues starting at the foot can be responsible for all kinds of aches and pains in the body.  The most common, plantar fasciitis, is explored later.  Here is the breakdown of what goes on in your foot and you walk...

The Foot

The foot has 26 bones and 33 joints.  And you have two of those, so that is 52 bones and 66 joints. Just for perspective, the body has 206 bones! The foot moves in 3 dimensions as we walk, which is a tad too complex (for all of us), and possibly, boring (for you) to go into the details.  When your foot hits the ground, our weight needs to transfer into the foot.  The bones and joints open up like little sensors. They “read” the ground and make adjustments up the body. This is also known as proprioception.  Our arches (we have 3) open, reach for the floor, and act like shock absorbers.  The foot starts a chain reaction all the way to the skull so the body can make adjustments to what it is walking on, and the shock of impact keep dissipating. As the foot takes the weight of the whole body, it creates an active stretch, “load,” also called “pronation”.  This load is like a bow of an arrow, pulled taut with an arrow waiting to fly.  When you release the bow, the arrow flies. The foot rolls from the heel to the ball, where it pushes off, making the arch contract and propel us forward like the arrow.  This phase is called “supination,” creating a stiff lever to move us forward. Then we start all over again.  Load and contract.  This is much like the way the muscles work in the entire body.

Plantar Fasciitis

I have known many people of all ages to get plantar fasciitis.  Plants fasciitis is an inflammation of the fascial tissue at the bottom of the foot.  The fascia is responsible for the “load” I mentioned in the previous paragraph.  If it is not acting like a bow (open and pronation) and arrow (stiff lever and supination) with the rest of the bones, it gets stuck in either too much bow (load), or too much arrow (shortening). I think and have learned the main reason is the complex movements of the pronation and supination of the foot is not happening.  Wearing shoes during an episode of plantar fasciitis is helpful, but the problem is, doctors tell their patients to remain in the shoes after the inflammation goes away.  That’s where the foot gets into trouble.  The shoe (also called foot coffins) acts like a brace and stops that lovely flow that happens in every step.  We end up with prohibited movement foot mechanics, and that chain reaction up the body, shock absorption, and propelling are compromised.  

In Part 2, I will discuss shoes.  Over the years, I have tried many different shoes. I recently bought myself some minimal shoes and now I am obsessed. My feet have changed for the better in the last month of daily use.  Shoes don’t need to be supportive, the foot just needs to be able to do its job - act like a spring.  Pronation to open and load, and supination to close and propel.  Plus three arches that load and contract - I mean, how many more do you need?  Shoes can prohibit that freedom. This theory is black and white.  There is some gray area we will look at as well.