What if you could run faster, jump higher, and increase your endurance, all while helping to decrease knee and hip instability and pain? All of these and more are the potential benefits of working with the often neglected foot.
When we talk about lower extremity (leg) fitness, the focus is usually on improving strength and performance in the hip and knee joints. Rarely do we pay much attention to the feet.
Over the past ten years, we’ve heard more about barefoot training. If you haven’t paid attention, you may think this only refers to barefoot running.
Take a moment to consider your feet. They are your foundation. If you’re the Statue of Liberty, they’re your Ellis Island. If you’re a race car, they’re your tires. It doesn’t matter how great your statue looks if your platform is unstable. And it doesn’t matter if your engine is top of the line when your tires are out of balance and alignment.
If you’re like most people, you’re probably not doing much to activate the muscles in your feet. You compensate by getting footwear that’s supportive and cushy. And perhaps you even use orthotics.
I do want to emphasize that both your shoes and any corrective inserts you require are important. They help stabilize and protect your feet as you walk, run, turn, dodge, weave, jump, and leap; and especially as you come in for a landing from that leap.
Your shoes can’t do it all though. Your feet are dynamic machines. With 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than a hundred muscles and tendons in each foot, the choice to pay some attention to your feet can have a profound impact on your overall performance and can also help prevent injuries.
This short video shows a warmup to activate and engage the muscles in your feet before you begin your workout.
No matter what you’re doing, engaged and supple feet will improve your workout. If you’re doing squats, you need your feet to provide a stable base. If you’re running, you need your feet to provide a dynamic base. Whether your feet are planted or moving during your workout, they provide alignment for everything above – from your knees to your shoulders. I encourage you to take a few minutes to include your feet in your pre-workout warmup.
