Did you know that a quarter of the bones in your body are situated in your feet? Each foot has over 200,000 nerve endings, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles and is a biomechanical marvel of evolution. You will walk in excess of 100,000 miles in your life, with each foot bearing the cumulative load of over a hundred tonnes a day.
You may not spend much time thinking about your feet after you have put your socks and shoes on, but they are key to the health of the rest of your kinetic chain (muscles, joints and nervous system). Strong feet are the basis for healthy knees, hips and backs.
Here are some simple exercises to help keep your feet strong:
* Spend time barefoot when possible.
* Walk on your tiptoes and then back on your heels for a few steps when barefoot.
* Stand on the outside of your feet and roll in to stand on the inside and back again.
* Toe yoga: with foot flat on floor i) keep your outer 4 toes on the ground whilst you lift up your big toe, keeping the ball of your foot on the floor. ii) keep your big toe on the ground whilst lifting your outer 4 toes up – tougher than it seems.
* Short foot exercise (great to strengthen arches): Start seated, foot flat on the floor. Try to shorten the length of your foot by bringing the ball of your foot closer to your heel. Do not bend your toes and do not let your ankle move out too much. You should feel a muscle tense in the arch as it rises slightly. This is a subtle movement. Hold for a few seconds and repeat 20 times.
