Our feet are incredibly complex structures. Each foot has 33 joints, 26 bones, 107 ligaments, 19 muscles and miles of blood vessels and nerves. They are used daily , and how they connect with the ground has a massive impact on how the rest of our body moves. They are the foundation of our body literally and figuratively !
Our feet ground us, they enable us to move and to balance. They affect our mobility and our posture . It is not until they cause us pain or are injured that we come to realise how important they are to our overall health.
For most of us they go unnoticed in our day to day lives, but they really need more attention. During this month start to be aware of how they move and how that affects the rest of your body. I love barefoot shoes, as they enable my feet to move as they should, the toes are not squashed, and they help my posture .
In Yoga we do a lot of balance, and emphasis is made to feel how the feet connect with the ground. To feel they are balanced by imagining a triangle under the big toe, little toe and heel so the weight stays even throughout this triangle. Having awareness of how the foot strikes & connects with the ground can really help our balance, which is vital to avoid falling especially as we get older.
Our feet also need some TLC, for all the hard work they do for us and a great way to release some of the tension that builds up in the muscles of the foot is to roll it over a golf ball or similar . It is amazing how much freer the foot feels after doing this, and how it moves much easier.
Feet are also incredibly important in our golf swing , being able to stay in our feet both physically and mentally can really help us. The quote below is one that is so important in golf. In the golf fitness classes we spend a lot of time focusing on the feet , on keeping that balance , and enabling us to use the ground to help to create that extra distance , as well as creating the balance and stability needed.
One of my favourite quotes is “Be where your feet are” - it is a great reminder to stay in the present, to live in the moment and to remain grounded. Why not have that as your thought for the next month and see the difference it brings to your day to day life.
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