Foot Strength - Use it or loose it

We often underestimate the importance of good strong feet until something goes wrong with them, sometimes with disastrous consequences. Whether it be plantar fasciitis, foot pain, ankle, knee, hip pain or even back pain can all begin at the feet.

I am seeing more and more people with chronic pain throughout their body that has been alleviated by strengthening the feet as part of an all over Pilates method programme.

As a child, when it came to school shoes there were only two options for me, K-Shoes and Clarks. My mother always made me wear K-shoes because she said I had square shaped feet and Clarks were ‘too pointed’, K-Shoes had a square toe. I so wanted a pair of tapered toed shoes but looking back she was of course right. A few years later I probably did untold damage to my feet by squeezing them in pointe shoes. As an 11-year-old, aspiring ballerina, I couldn’t wait to get those beautiful satin slippers onto my feet. Now whilst it may have taught me great balance and core control from a young age (you can’t slump whilst tottering around on the tips of your toes without immense pain and discomfort), the damage I did while my bones were still quite soft is probably irreparable to a degree – damaged toe nails leading to surgeries and the inevitable bunion or two. However, there is always work that can be done to minimise pain and keep feet strong.

Why do we need strong feet?

As children running around in bare feet, our feet stay more flexible and when all the toes are in constant contact with the floor feeling every bump and undulation beneath us, our feet and toes become stronger. However, as with our bodies if we don’t use it, we lose it. Years of squeezing our feet into shoes means the toes no longer move very much and cannot feel the floor to connect and press against as we walk, the long-term effect of this is weakened muscles in the feet. If our muscles are not supporting the joints in the feet the ligaments will be put under undue stress and strain hence the inflammation of the plant-facia, fallen arches (flat feet) and general pain and stiffness.  We have 26 bones and around 20 muscles in each foot. There’s a lot that can go wrong without some attention. If we spend some time on doing ‘foot-gym’ we can alleviate much or all of the pain associated with deconditioned feet.

In addition to doing some ‘foot-gym’ we can encourage gradual strengthening by considering our footwear.

Do we want foot-shaped shoes

or shoe-shaped feet?

Most of us shove our feet into shoes everyday and don’t think twice about what impact they are having on our feet, posture and gait.

The high fashion, performance trainers on offer now are designed for aesthetics and comfort. Shoe companies spend huge sums of money researching how to improve performance for the wearer, which is great for an event, but if worn regularly for training will gradually weaken the muscles of the foot if the toes cannot fully move and feel the floor.

I have been trying out Vivobarefoot shoes recently and have found them extremely good for maintaining tone in the foot and consequently encouraging a balanced gait. Importantly they have a wide toe-box, made of soft fabric with a flexible sole giving the wearer lots of sensitivity to the floor below. By the end of my walk, I can really feel my feet and legs have had a good workout, very different to after a walk in my comfy, springy trainers.

The golden rule with these types of shoes is to PREPARE YOUR FEET for wearing them. Launching into a long walk with no preparation will end in pain and discomfort or even injury. A couple of weeks of daily foot exercises may be enough unless you are dealing with severely deconditioned feet. Ultimately how much preparation you need

and what type may depend on how used to walking barefoot you are already. Start by walking short distances, building up gradually, depending on how your feet feel after each time. For example, start with a 5–10-minute walk on grass building up by 5 mins at a time to eventually walking on harder and more uneven surfaces. Focus should be on a good gait cycle and biomechanics. Just being able to spread your toes and feel all of them connected to the ground as you walk can instantly correct poor foot alignment.

It's important to note if you have any severe problems for example with your feet or achilles tendons or suffer with Hypermobile EDS to get some specialist advice on their suitability. A careful introduction is key.