What’s so interesting about feet?
When was the last time you paid attention to your feet? Most of the time we take our feet for granted as they carry us through life. Many of us only notice our feet when they hurt.
Feet are more than platforms to support our weight. Feet sense the ground on which we move—its temperature, shape, texture, firmness. Knowing—at a subconscious level—that we can feel the ground and that it is solid enough to support us, is necessary to feel safe. If you’ve ever experienced an earthquake, or had a dream where the ground liquefies under your feet, you know how frightening and disorienting it is to lose contact with solid ground.
Feet are fundamental in standing, walking and running. Bringing awareness to how they connect to the other parts of us helps reduce aches and pains and enables a feeling of ease in movement – whatever it is we are doing. Yet we spend much of our lives with our feet enclosed in shoes, inhibiting both sensing and movement.
The human foot is intricate. Its structure contains 26 bones, 33 joints (20 of which are actively articulated), and more than a hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It is capable of flexing and bending in all directions and changing shape to adapt to the ground and to the movement we are making.
Ligaments and tendons of the foot connect to points throughout the body via the fascial system. Movements of the foot are a consequence of muscle activity not only in the foot itself but in our legs and core. Like the hand, the foot is capable of intricate control, but, in most people, this capability is less developed.
The complexity of the foot enables smooth, balanced movements in standing and walking and requires all parts to work in harmony.
Here are a couple of small movements to try which can activate sensing in your feet:
Sit on a stool or chair. The height of the seat should be such that your thigh bones are parallel with the floor. Have your feet flat on the floor. Bring both knees gently a little to the left while your feet stay flat on the floor – the feet do not tilt onto their inside or outside edge. Do this a few times than try bringing the knees to the right a few times. Notice any differences between how this movement feels on the two sides.
Sitting on the same stool or chair, shorten your left foot. The heel stays where it is, the toes slide backwards on the floor towards the heel. Do it a number of times. What do you have to activate in your legs and core to make this happen? Then do the same with the right foot. Note any differences between the two sides.
How do you look after your feet? Please leave a comment.