Feet are the foundation of your building yet often overlooked. Think of the weight your feet bear, and for how many hours a day? What of the surfaces on which you tread? And how many of your shoes were purchased with foot health in mind?
How much do you know about your feet? Do you have high arches, flat feet? Why does it matter? Do you pronate or supinate when you walk, and again, why does it matter?
I’m sure you get the point. Our feet play a crucial role in our mobility, well-being, and yes even our happiness.
Pilates addresses your feet in multiple ways:
Pilates stance encourages us to bear weight evenly on our feet and to feel their connection to the ground beneath them. Bearing weight evenly in the feet reflects all the way up the chain through the spinal column. It is reflected in our posture. From the ground up, someone who bears weight in the back of the heels will likely exhibit hyperextension of the knees, anterior pelvic shifting, thoracic kyphosis (rounding if the upper back), rounding of the shoulders and forward head posture.
The effects of chronic forward head posture can be significant. The weight of the head places increased pressure on the neck and cervical spine, causing the body to become out of balance.
What does your natural stance look like from the profile or side view?
Another fun fact about Pilates and your feet is that the Footwork Series on the reformer stimulates different parts of the feet, corresponding to reflexology points i.e. organs of the body. The Footwork Series stimulates the heart (toes), liver and intestines (arches), kidneys (heels), and the reproductive system ( tendon stretch).
So show your feet some love and do Pilates!