Through many years of working with a wide variety of people, I consistently find the most neglected part of their body is the feet. Yet, the feet are the very foundation for keeping the body stable, mobile, balanced and erect.
Exercise programs will address a variety of strength programs and flexibility for the different muscles and joints of the body. Rarely if ever are the feet addressed, unless there is an injury of some kind.
The foot and ankle contain: 26 bones (One-quarter of the bones in the human body are in the feet.); 33 joints; more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments (Tendons are fibrous tissues that connect muscles to bones and ligaments are fibrous tissues that connect bones to other bones.)
Shoes and footwear as a whole have created significant weakness and dysfunction for the feet. The foot is literally encased in a formed structure that eliminates proprioception and forces the entire foot to alter it’s natural biomechanics and inherent function. The foot has no room to spread and over time the feet and toes become less pliable and more rigid. Standing, walking and balance will become greatly compromised.
It’s very important to keep the feet flexible, pliable, strong and vital. When the feet lose function the entire body is affected.