Did that get you to think about Kevin Bacon? Seems like everyone, no matter what age knows about FOOTLOOSE! However, how many of you know and really understand the importance of your feet? The foot is a very complex structure of 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 120 muscles, ligaments and nerves. As you can imagine, every toe matters. Your feet:
- Support your body weight.
- Act as a shock absorber.
- Serve as a lever to propel your leg forward as you walk.
- Help you to maintain our balance by adjusting the body to uneven surfaces.
How can Pilates help? Most of us don't have a sense of where our hips (pelvis is) when we walk. Did you know that your feet transfer forces from the ground up throughout your entire body, knees, hips, pelvis, and spine? Pilates can help from the feet on up! Have you done footwork on the chair?
Did you know:
- Women have more foot flexibility because they wear a variety of heels
- Men's feet become more stiff and rigid because of the shoes they wear over time
- The soles of our feet lose padding.
- Arches can drop.
- You can lose circulation which can cause neuropathy
- Proprioception diminishes over time which affects your balance
Here are a few exercises that can keep you on your feet and balanced.
KNEE BENDS are good for foot and ankle mobility. They help create an awareness for how you distribute your weight in your feet and help to strengthen your quads and muscles in the upper leg.
HEEL LIFTS strengthen the feet, ankles, and calves in the lower leg, while improving flexibility.
TOE LIFTS (Dorsiflexion of the foot) is one of the single best exercises you can do to improve your balance.
FOOT DORSIFLEXION & PLANTARFLEXION: Moving slowing through every range of motion helps articulate and strengthen the whole foot and ankle. It helps improve your awareness and balance by strengthening the feet and correcting imbalances.
All of these exercises can be done in at One Pilates Studio in a group and/or private lesson. Want to be MORE specific and get every single toe? Try M.A.T. (muscle activation technique). Contact us at 303.377.1552 or one@onepilatesdenver.com for more information.