Take a look at the photo below. Which foot looks more functional to you? A or B?
If you answered B, you are correct.
What’s the difference between foot B and foot A? Foot B belongs to a person who has never worn shoes and it's as simple as that. It’s wild to think that in 2024 there are people who don’t wear shoes, but it’s true, especially amongst members of indigenous tribes. Researchers have studied the feet of such people and have concluded that these populations have:
💪 Stronger, More Flexible Feet: Barefoot populations tend to develop stronger foot muscles and greater flexibility due to not wearing shoes, allowing natural foot development.
👣 Natural Walking Patterns: They often walk or run with a forefoot or midfoot strike rather than a heel strike, which is more common in shoe-wearing populations. This can reduce impact stress and improve energy efficiency.
📉 Fewer Foot Deformities: Barefoot individuals show lower incidences of common foot issues such as bunions, hammertoes, and flat feet, indicating that growing up without shoes may lead to healthier foot development.
🧠Enhanced Perception and Balance: Direct ground contact boosts proprioception, improving balance and foot motion. This heightened sensory feedback helps in navigating uneven surfaces more effectively.
🦶 Natural Foot Shape: The feet of people from barefoot tribes have a wider forefoot and narrower heel, reflecting the human foot's natural shape and promoting better weight distribution and shock absorption.
February’s thematic exploration and education on the feet has one goal – to improve your foot health and function through movements that restore your feet to their natural, birth-given shape. Just google “baby feet” if you need a reminder of the feet you were born with.
It is never too late to improve the health of your feet, especially when you have Pilates in Common! Start tomorrow with some simple steps.
- Take Nicole’s Monday foot-focused class at 12pm. Can’t join live? Sign up to receive the recording
- Spend your work-from-home day barefoot
- Check out one of our THREE foot centric blog posts
Pilates for Your Feet: This post gives tips on toe spaces, foot massagers, and foot-shape (not shoe-shaped!) shoes. Freebie video included!
Pilates Anatomy 101 – The Feet: This post nerds out on the complex structure of our feet, the foundation that enables them to perform a multitude of tasks, yet also contributes to the array of potential issues they may encounter.
Better Feet, Better Back: This post educates on how the health of your feet impact full-body health. Freebie video included! - Purchase the MELT Hand and Foot Therapy Ball Kit. Destinie will teach our final foot focused class next Monday using this kit! Buy it now so that you can participate in class!
CLASS THEMES
Monday, February 19th @ 12pm with Nicole:
Today we’ll review the exercise sequence in our Better Feet, Better Back video as a warm-up. We’ll then move through the Pilates repertoire with a focus on standing side kicks and standing splits. If you want to improve your balance, this class is for you. Props: two hand towels.
