Why You Should Smash Your Feet
Our connection with this Earth starts with our feet.
No wonder so many people are out of sync with what makes us human...
When is the last time you took off your shoes and walked in the grass?
When is the last time you lifted barefoot?
When is the last time you actually USED your feet?
If you remember a while back, I mentioned that an issue in one part of your body can quickly lead to issues elsewhere.
An ankle issue can cause pain in your neck. A knee issue can cause pain in your hips. A hip issue can cause pain in your lower back.
Everything is connected.
And the root of that connection is our feet.
Our contact with this Earth starts with the feet, and the power in our daily movements originates from our feet.
Take a punch for example. The power comes from us planting our feet into the ground, transferring the torque through our hips & core, and out the arms into a solid, clenched fist.
That's why a punch has no power if a boxer is off-balance or his footwork isn't correct. Everything starts from the ground up.
So take care of your feet.
One of the best ways to do this is by using a lacrosse ball.
Really dig into your foot and roll the ball back and forth, and side to side.
You're searching for tender spots. When you find one, there's a bunch of ways to work them out, and each one you should perform with your toes pulled back towards you, and then again with your toes collapsed over the ball. Each one digs into your feet in a different way, and you can either roll slowly or quickly. And it's supposed to hurt...
Here are the main tactics:
- Direct, heavy pressure. No movement. (Any location on the foot.)
- Front-to-back rolling of the arch, from heel to ball of foot.
- Front-to-back rolling between each toe joint, along the ball of the foot.
- Side-to-side rolling along the ball of the foot.
- Circular rolling along the arch & the ball of the foot, clockwise & counter-clockwise.
Take 5-10 minutes per foot, and really work through the tenderness.
If you find a "crunchy" part or an area that stings, keep going over and over that same spot, again and again, with progressively heavier and heavier pressure until the tenderness begins to subside.
Afterwards, move your ankles around & you're likely to feel some pops & cracks as the tension in your feet has lessened. Take a walk around & see if you notice anything different about your gait, or what you're feeling in your body.
Don't be surprised if your feet are incredibly sore the next day. That's a good thing.
You're fixing things.
It's so simple to do too. That's the beauty of it.
Just keep a lacrosse ball at your desk or near the couch at home, and roll your feet while you're working or relaxing. It only takes a few minutes a day to make a big difference.
And if you haven't done so lately, I highly recommend deadlifting, squatting, lunging, and using the leg press all barefoot. This will force you to activate your arches in order to maintain proper form, leading to better performance down the road.
Catch you soon,
Nick Hagood
Spartan Training & Coaching
P.S. There's a bunch of tips & tricks in the FAQ that can help you eliminate common problems around the home that can have an impact on your health in the long term. I highly recommend implementing them.