Good posture depends on different variables, such as keeping your pelvis straight, your spine in its proper curve, and your shoulders back. Your feet are foundational structure in your body that maintain your overall body posture.
Your feet act as the trunk of a tree. People who fail to work equally throughout their feet will disturb the body alignment, leading to various issues, including discomfort, inflammation, and pain.
That’s why it is essential to maintain your feet posture. The crucial thing is to ensure equal distribution of your weight between your toes. If you fail to work equally throughout your feet muscles, it will offset your body’s alignment.
In today’s article, I will talk about the importance of foot posture, how your feet affect body posture and exercises to maintain good foot posture. Make sure you read this guide carefully to grasp all the essential information and get the most out of it. Read on!
The Importance of Foot Posture
Right foot posture allows your body to activate other muscles. For example, when you push down into your toe, it helps you connect with the pelvic floor. If it is hard connecting to that, it will affect your body’s back chain, especially into the lower glutes.
Remember, this is not a one-sided connection because when you strengthen other parts of your body, it helps your feet posture. For instance, strengthening your inner thigh and glute muscles can alleviate pronation, leading to better feet and overall body posture.
Do your Feet Affect Posture?
Several research studies have highlighted the significance of correct weight distribution in the feet. It gives your body adequate postural alignment. Likewise, it is an excellent foundation in your exercise or yoga practice.
Besides, proper weight-bearing of your feet is directly proportional to good standing postures. On the other hand, the uneven distribution of weight on your feet can significantly affect your overall body posture.
A 2009 research study conducted by the American Podiatric Medical Association highlighted that at an average, a person walks 10,000 steps in one day. Because this is too much movement in the body, the muscles and joints in your feet and ankles have stress or pressure.
Thus, it is hard on your body and back muscles, leading to alteration of your feet’ mechanics. The study also highlights that too much walking affects the legs and pelvic region. If you feel pronation in your feet, your arches will collapse, and ankles roll in, meaning they may not properly support your posture.
Moreover, research shows that it rotates the knees inward and over arch the spine. Your shoulder likewise rolls forward and leads to bad posture. Over time, bad posture can cause damages to your muscles, joints, and ligaments.
Best Feet Posture Exercises
It is essential to know how you stand and maintain your body alignment, especially your feet posture. A qualified physical therapist, yoga instructor, or chiropractor can tell you how to keep your body’s physiology and alignment with exercises. Continue reading!
Move through the foot
Experts recommend going or moving through your feet’s range of motion. It helps align your feet with the rest of the body. Here are the steps to do with exercise.
- Start the exercise by flexing your feet at the ankles
- Make sure your toes are relaxed
- Now, curl your toes while keeping flexion
- Then, point your foot entirely until there is a stretch in your foot’s front
- Curl your toes back and finish the exercise by pushing through the heel
- Perform at least ten repetitions on each foot
Use a Yoga Block
Using a block is an excellent exercise to strengthen your calf, Achilles heel, and feet. Experts say that working through the exercise can also benefit your plantar fasciitis. Here are steps to perform this exercise.
- Start the workout by standing on stairs or a yoga block
- Hang your heels off the block and flex at the ankle
- Lift your foot’s inside part by putting weight on your outside part of the foot
- Make sure you feel the stretch in the middle of the foot and ankle
Towel Stretch
The towel stretch is an excellent exercise to improve the range of motion and flexibility of your feet. It works on your feet and toes, strengthens them, and increase range of motion. Here is how you can do this exercise.
- Grab a towel off the ground by curling your toes and then slowly release it
- Take note of your toes and determine which one grabs the towel fully
- That way, you can find out the weaker toes and work on them
- Do this at least ten times a day
Sitting & Rolling Stretch
It is a great exercise that maintains your overall feet posture and strengthens your legs and knees. Sitting and rolling stretch can relieve muscle soreness, tightness, and inflammation in your feet. It also increases the range of motion and improves flexibility in feet muscles. Here are the steps!
- Sit down in a relaxed position and straighten out your legs in front of you
- Rotate your foot outward and inward
- Make sure you move the leg properly
- Keep the flexion in your toes while moving your leg
Standing Foot Activation
It is some sort of a balance maintaining exercise that strengthens your legs and feet and supports your spine. The exercise leads to improved muscle tone, blood circulation and even boosts your mental health. I won’t be wrong if I say this is an all-round body exercise. Here is how you can perform this exercise. Keep reading!
- Stand on your feet with shoulder-width apart
- Press into your big toe and then the one next to it
- Continue pressing until you reach the pinky toe
- Next, reverse from these toes to your big toe
Final Words
Your feet are the most important part of your body that provide a foundation to all your bones and muscles in the body. It is essential to treat your feet with kindness to ensure proper alignment and posture.
Besides these exercises, you can use essential oils to massage your feet. That way, you increase blood circulation to your feet, reduce inflammation, decrease tiredness and fatigue, and maintain good posture.