Everyone knows you should strengthen your glutes, core, shoulders. Yet almost no one trains their feet.
In fact, most people are actually weakening them throughout the day.
That's a problem. Because your feet aren't just something you stick in shoes every day, they're the foundation of your body and movement. They're a complex system of 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments that affect every step you take and movement you do.
Yet most people think they need to seek out that 'walking on clouds' feeling to ease the load on their feet, not understanding that cushioning takes away the natural feedback and activation that your body needs.
We're going to make the argument of why you should load your feet MORE, not seek out more cushion & support in a shoe.
1. Your Feet Are Your Foundation
Every movement starts from the ground. When your feet hit the floor, they send loads of information to the brain that in turn tells how the body to stabilize, align, and move according to what's happening under the feet.
If all the sensory receptors, the things that send information to the brain, feel is foam, a lot of that information is inhibited. If your brain gets less information, it can't respond as well. Over time, this can lead to things like decreased balance, knee and hip pain, and imbalances in posture. Basically, a lack of stimulation and activation at the feet makes everything else compensate.
2. Modern Shoes Are Crutches For Your Feet
Thick soles, narrow toe boxes, and elevated heel may feel 'normal' because that's what just about every athletic shoe is, but they actually put your feet in very unnatural positions and movements.
Let's break it down:
- Cushioning inhibits sensory input: your stabilizer muscles become more inactive
- Elevated heel shifts your center of gravity forward, changing your posture
- Narrow toe boxes squeeze your toes, limited balance and toe engagement
Over years, this creates a lot of dissociation and weakening of the feet.
3. Strong Feet Improve Every Other Muscle Group
When your feet get stronger, everything above them benefits. Things like improved balance, improved posture, better squats and lunges, etc. are some of the things that people notices changes quickly after working on strengthening their feet.
4. How To Strengthen Your Feet
For starters, get out of cushion 24/7. Think of wearing a barefoot shoe, that doesn't have cushion, as a time to workout your feet. By going barefoot or wearing a barefoot shoe, your foot gets more stimulation and activation, making it work with each step. In addition to changing footwear, you can do strengthening exercises. Here are some examples:
Your feet are the root of your balance, movement, and play a big role in longevity. Training them is crucial. A weakness at the foot has effects up the entire body.