Your Feet: The Unsung Heroes of Movement, Lifting, and Health
Your Feet: The Unsung Heroes of Movement, Lifting, and Health
Hey friends, Dr. Kira here! Today we’re going to talk about something that’s often overlooked but is absolutely critical when it comes to movement, lifting weights, and overall health: your feet.
Yup, those little things that carry us around every day, but how often do we really think about them—other than when they’re sore after a long day or when we buy a new pair of shoes? I’m here to tell you that your feet are WAY more important than you might realize, and they deserve a whole lot more attention.
Let’s break it down and dive into why your feet are so crucial for proper movement, strength training, and staying healthy overall.
Your Feet: The Foundation of Your Body
Let’s start with a simple fact: Your feet are the foundation of everything you do. Imagine building a house on a shaky or uneven foundation. It wouldn’t be long before that house started to crack, right? Well, your body works the same way. If your feet aren’t being used properly or aren’t functioning optimally, everything above them—your ankles, knees, hips, and even your lower back—can take the brunt of the stress.
When you walk, run, squat, or deadlift, your feet are constantly working to provide balance, stability, and mobility. Every step you take, every time you lift, your feet are the first part of your body to make contact with the ground and are responsible for transmitting force through your whole body.
The Role of Your Feet in Movement
The foot is an incredible structure—designed to be flexible enough to absorb shock and stable enough to support your body weight. There are 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments in each foot, which means your feet are working hard to perform complex movements every day. Whether you're walking, running, or doing yoga, your feet are the first to respond to the forces placed on your body.
In dynamic movements like running or jumping, your feet need to adapt and absorb shock, then spring back with enough power to push you forward. In more static movements like standing or lifting weights, your feet need to provide a stable, solid base that supports the rest of your body.
A lot of times, people focus on strengthening the upper body when it comes to lifting weights and movement, but they forget about strengthening their foundation: the feet. If your feet aren't functioning as they should, even the best workout program won’t be as effective, and you could be setting yourself up for injury.
The Importance of Foot Alignment for Lifting Weights
Alright, let’s talk about weightlifting for a second. Whether you're squatting, deadlifting, or doing any other kind of resistance training, your feet play a crucial role in both your performance and safety. Here’s why:
Stability and Balance: In exercises like squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses, your feet are the primary point of contact with the floor. If your feet aren’t firmly planted, you won’t have the stability you need to lift properly. A lot of lifters experience balance issues in movements like squats because their foot positioning is off. I want you to think about THREE points of contact - your pinky toe, ball of the big toe, and your heel. These three points should be ROOTED into the floor and should NOT lose contact! When you’re lifting weights you want your weight to be evenly distributed throughout your foot, not forward or backwards in the balls or heel of your foot.
Power Transfer: When you lift weights, you want to be able to transfer force from your feet all the way up through your body to your arms (or wherever the weight is). If your feet aren’t stable, this transfer of power becomes inefficient. Think about it like trying to push a heavy object while standing on ice—it’s going to be hard to get any momentum. Proper foot positioning ensures that your body is moving as one unit, so you can generate more power and lift more safely.
Knee and Hip Alignment: If you’re shifting the weight forward or backward in your feet you can cause issues up the chain in your knees and your hips because you’re putting them into a less optimal angle. The rest of your body will try to compensate for the poor positioning of your feet.
Foot Health and Its Impact on Overall Health
The health of your feet doesn’t just affect your movement and strength—it impacts your overall well-being. Here’s why:
Posture & Joint Health: Your feet play a huge role in how your posture is throughout the day. If you’re not in tune with your feet and your weight distribution you can have compensatory patterns like excessive knee extension or other poor patterns that overtime can contribute to pain in those joints.
Balance and Mobility: As we age, our balance and mobility naturally start to decline. One of the main reasons for this is that our feet lose some of their range of motion, strength, and sensory feedback over time. This can lead to poor posture, increased fall risk, and reduced flexibility in the ankles. Regular foot care, along with exercises that strengthen the feet, can help maintain balance, prevent falls, and keep you moving well into your later years. You have the MOST sensory nerves of any place in your body in your feet for a REASON - you’re meant to receive feedback from the ground! This is why super squishy or thick shoes can actually impede people’s balance because you’re not getting that input into your sensory nerves.
How to Take Care of Your Feet
Okay, so now that we know why your feet are so important, let’s talk about what you can do to keep them in top shape:
Foot Exercises: Yes, your feet need exercise just like the rest of your body. Simple exercises like toe yoga, toe raises, heel raises, and toe curls can help strengthen the muscles in your feet. Balance exercises (like standing on one leg) can also improve stability and coordination in the feet and ankles.
Proper Footwear: Your shoes are everything when it comes to foot health. Shoes that are too tight, too loose, or lack support can cause all kinds of issues. When lifting weights, it’s best to wear flat, firm shoes (like a pair of lifting shoes or minimalist shoes) to provide the most stability and support. For daily activities, make sure your shoes fit properly.
Foot Mobility and Stretching: Just like the rest of your body, your feet benefit from mobility work. This can include toe spacers and physically grabbing between your toes with your hands and moving your feet around at the ankle joint.
Foot Care: Check in on your feet regularly. Are you noticing any pain, swelling, or changes in how they feel? Take care of blisters, calluses, or any other foot issues before they become bigger problems. And don’t be afraid to get professional help if you are coming across issues!
The Bottom Line
Your feet are the unsung heroes of movement, lifting, and overall health. When they’re healthy, they support everything above them—giving you stability, strength, and power. When they’re neglected, well, they can cause a domino effect that impacts your whole body.
Take care of your feet, and they’ll take care of you. Don’t overlook this crucial part of your body—strengthen them, use them in multiple positions, and pay attention to your weight distribution in your feet. It’s one of the best things you can do for your long-term health and performance.
Much love,
Dr. Kira
