Wake up your feet, improve your health and longevity
Did you know the biggest predictor of falls in elderly is toe strength? Falls can significantly decrease longevity, so fall prevention is key!
There is ample advice on how to help improve our overall body function and health, but this rarely includes specific recommendations for feet. We often hear about glute strength, core strength, and changing our posture or ergonomics. These are important, but excluding feet is a disservice. Especially since they are closely linked with our glute and core function.
It may seem daunting to start improving your foot function. Here are a few things you can start with:
- Wide toe box shoes: This is very different from wide shoes. Your toes need room to splay to create a rigid level to push off of.
- Zero drop shoes: This means the heel is the same height as the toe. You may need to work your way to changing up footwear. Gradual change is best.
- Go barefoot: This allows us to strengthen the intrinsic muscles of feet and properly use the proprioceptors (joint-space awareness) and sensory receptors. Going barefoot for as little as 45 min a day can help improve foot strength.
- Spread and stretch your toes throughout your day: Wake up your feet! Improve your sensation and dexterity. Lift all your toes and tap down just your big toes, then just your 5th toes, etc. Toe spacers can be a great addition to this practice as well, helping to creating space between toes and metatarsals
- Calf raises: Spread the toes, elevate the heels and slowly lower back down (3 seconds lowering). Next try doing this one leg. You can also elevate the toes with a small ledge or rolled up towel. This helps to create tension in and strengthen the plantar fascia.
Try a few of these suggestions and remember to make gradual changes to allow the soft tissues to adapt and prevent injury. Consult a health care practitioner with any concerns. Cheers to working towards happy feet and a longer, healthier life!
