We don't often give much thought to our feet. We rush around, put socks on, shoes on, slippers on, expect them to carry us everywhere and anywhere we want to go. That is until we suddenly develop foot pain. The human foot is an absolutely incredible structure. It has 26 bones and 33 joints. 33 joints! Now we know from our other body parts that a joint is there to initiate a movement. It moves the bones away from each other and back towards each other. Well if this is so why does the foot have so many joints? Because it is meant to move! The human foot is not a design flaw, it does not need supporting with arch supports and inches of cushioning. It needs to be looked after properly, strengthen and allowed to move naturally. Did you know that the foot is a natural, stable tripod? Your weight is distributed between your heal, big toe knuckle and your little toe knuckle. Take off your shoes and socks right now and stand still. Where does your weight lie? Rock backwards and forwards and side to side a little. What do you notice? Is it more on your heals? Outside of your foot? Did you know that your foot has 3 natural arches? One on the inside of your foot, one on the outside and then one that runs across your foot just behind the ball of your foot. Those arches are there to move. They help propel you forward in the gait cycle and support your foot from the impact of walking, running and jumping. Did you know that the foot is designed (and therefore meant to) pronate and supinate? Those arches are meant to 'collapse' and spring back up as we move across the ground. A foot that is stuck either with a high arch or a 'flat foot' and can't move can often be a cause of foot pain. Those of you who have been coming to classes with me for a while or who follow me on instagram will know how much I love feet and natural movement patterns. Your feet are the basis of all your movements, whether you are walking, running, jumping, lifting, hanging, throwing, climbing or even just getting into the car or shopping your feet have a direct impact on how the rest of your body functions. If your feet are limited in their movements then somewhere up the chain another joint or muscle will compensate to allow you to move as you want to. Eventually this could result in knee, hip, back, shoulder or neck pain. So what can we do to help our foot function and therefore our everyday movement patterns? Well, the first thing I suggest is looking at your shoes. Most of us are walking around in shoes that are too small. I was one of those people a few years ago until I transitioned over to barefoot or minimalist shoes. Suddenly, with space to relax and move I went up 2 shoe sizes! I honestly cannot recommend minimalist shoes enough and have to say within 6 months I had given away all my old shoes to charity and within a year the whole family were only in minimalist shoes. I am not in any way affiliated to any shoe brands but can wholeheartedly recommend Vivobarefoot Shoes. These are the only shoes that we wear as a family and what makes it even better is that they have resale site (Revivo) where they repurpose old Vivos and then sell them at a discounted rate so no shoes end up in landfill. If you do choose to try a pair of minimalist shoes then it is important to transition slowly as our feet will need time to get used to the (natural!) extra loads and movements expected of them. There are many simple exercises and techniques that you can do everyday to help strength and mobilise your feet whether you choose to change your footwear or not. I am sharing with you the first in a series of videos I am uploading to Instagram and my YouTube page to help get you started on the road to pain free feet. Please do not hesitate to contact me or book a session via my website if you would like some help with your foot pain or your transition to barefoot shoes and we can work together. Zoe x