Have you ever wondered what feet do all day? No? Maybe you should. Feet are pretty amazing and complex pieces of machinery. They get you up to standing and then from point A to point B whenever and wherever you want to go. And they get you there however you want – whether it’s walking, running, jumping, or dancing.
Improved Balance for Improved Performance
I’ve talked about improving your balance for improved performance using three foundations – foot work, core work, and a focus on symmetry. The best place to start with foot work is to look at some basic anatomy and kinesiology.
26 Bones in the Foot and Ankle
If you look at your leg from the pelvis down, your thigh consists of one bone – the femur. Your lower leg has the tibia and fibula. And then, supporting them all are the foot and ankle which have 26 bones. Seven in the heel region, five in the midfoot, and the remainder of the bones are in the forefoot – two in your big toe and three in each of the other four toes.
It’s tempting to compare the anatomy of the foot to the hand. Indeed, they do share many similarities. But the foot is designed to bear your body weight and, consequently, is stronger and less mobile.
Still, the foot has an amazing capacity for movement and adaptation to different surfaces. Simply by taking one foot in your hands and gently stretching it into different positions, you can start to appreciate its ability to easily transition through several planes of motion, all while supporting everything that’s loaded on top of it.
How the Foot Works
Even a very brief look at the foot in action gives you an appreciation for what your foot does all day every day. Each time you move on your feet, they have to meet the demands of the activity, the terrain, and the load of your body. And, by the way, this all happens without much conscious input from you. Consider what happens during walking.
The time that a foot stays on the ground during walking is called the stance phase. Here’s an overview of what happens during stance phase:
- When your foot hits the ground, the heel is usually the first point of contact.
- If you were observing from behind, you would see your inside ankle bone dip slightly toward the floor as the foot flexes to absorb your weight.
- As your weight moves forward, the calcaneus, or heel bone, transitions into a more vertical position.
- During this transition, your weight moves through the arch of the foot and the bones move into a more rigid structure to give you the power to maintain forward momentum.
- Finally, your weight moves onto the ball of your foot, you push off, and that foot goes into what’s called swing phase as your foot leaves the ground.
That’s a pretty basic explanation and, keep in mind, it only covers what happens when your foot is in contact with the ground. Other forces come into play during swing phase. Most notably, the muscles on the front of your shin – the anterior tibialis and a couple of other muscles – help you dorsiflex your foot so it clears the ground.
You don’t necessarily need or perhaps want to know what each bone, muscle, tendon, and ligament is doing in the stance or swing phases of walking. However, a basic appreciation of your feet’s complex role in moving you around helps you understand why you should pay attention to them.
Be Mindful of Your Feet
Your foot needs to constantly change and adapt. It needs to be both flexible and strong. I’ll be posting more soon about balance, flexibility, and strength work for your feet. In the meantime, you might mindfully consider ‘what feet do all day long’ and develop an awareness of why they play such a key role in performance.
Stay fit!
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