Fix Your Feet, Fix Your Movement

Why Your Toes Might Be the Secret to Better Strength, Less Pain, and a Faster You

Let’s Talk About Your Feet (Yes, Really)

If you’re stretching your hamstrings, foam rolling your glutes, and doing endless core work but still feel stiff, achy, or slow… we need to talk about your feet.

Most people overlook their feet when it comes to improving movement or getting out of pain. But here’s the truth: your feet are the foundation of everything. Every step you take, every squat you do, every sprint you attempt—it all starts from the ground up.

So, if you’re feeling “off,” let’s check what’s happening below your ankles.

Why the Foot Matters More Than You Think

Think of your foot like the unsung hero of your body’s movement team. It’s responsible for:

• Absorbing shock when you land

• Creating stiffness when you push off

• Sending signals to your brain about where you are in space (that’s proprioception)

• Providing leverage for movement like walking, running, jumping, and lifting

But if your foot isn’t doing its job—maybe because it’s stiff, weak, or just asleep at the wheel—everything above it has to compensate. That’s when pain shows up. In your knees. Your hips. Even your neck.

Your Foot is the MVP of Your Kinetic Chain

The foot is not just a platform—it’s a dynamic structure that drives performance. In elite sprinting, for example, up to 33% of max velocity is achieved through foot and ankle mechanics by the third step. That power comes from proper dorsiflexion (bending the ankle forward) and plantarflexion (pushing off the ball of the foot).

Meet Your Foot’s Power Trio

There are three big actions your foot and ankle need to do well:

1. Dorsiflexion

This is your ankle’s ability to bend forward (like when your knee moves over your toes in a squat). Without this, you’ll lift your heels early, lean too far forward, or strain your knees and back.

2. Plantarflexion

This is the push-off—what you do when you go up on your toes. It’s the main driver of sprinting, jumping, and explosive power.

3. Foot Stiffness (When You Need It)

Your foot needs to absorb impact when you land, but it also needs to become stiff and rigid when it’s time to push off. That’s called dynamic foot stiffness. The better it is, the faster and more efficiently you move.

What Happens When the Foot Fails?

If your foot can’t handle load, your body finds a workaround. That’s not always a good thing. You might:

• Lean forward too much during running

• Collapse at the arch and twist your knee inward

• Push off the wrong part of your foot and strain your Achilles

• Overuse your hip muscles and end up with back pain

Here’s the golden rule:

“Whatever your foot can’t do, the rest of your body will try to do. And usually, it’s not built for the job.”

How to Tell If Your Feet Are Helping or Hurting

You don’t need fancy equipment. Just try these at home:

✅ Can you lift your toes while keeping the ball of your foot down?

You should feel your arch lift. That’s your windlass mechanism kicking in—a fancy term for your foot’s spring system.

✅ When you do a heel raise, does your ankle stay aligned with your second toe?

If your heel rolls out or in, your foot isn’t pushing evenly.

✅ Try walking barefoot and feel your pressure points.

You should feel three: the heel, the ball of the big toe, and the ball of the pinky toe. That’s your foot tripod. If you’re only using part of it, your movement is likely off.

Your Big Toe Is a Big Deal

Your big toe isn’t just for balance—it’s the final push in walking and running. If it’s weak, stiff, or doesn’t bend well, your body can’t finish its movement chain. That means:

• Poor toe-off = reduced speed

• Poor big toe strength = reduced forward lean

• Poor arch recoil = flat, tired feet

Train your big toe, and the rest of your body will thank you.

Foot Fixes You Can Start Today

Here are some of my go-to drills that anyone can try:

1. Spring Ankle Hold

Stand on one leg. Rise onto your toes and hold for 60–90 seconds. Keep your heel aligned under your big toe. Feel the whole foot light up.

2. Toe Lifts & Ankle Rotations

Lift all your toes, then lower just your big toe while keeping the others up. Build control and awareness in your foot muscles.

3. Tripod Rockers

Shift your weight forward/back and side to side while barefoot. Keep the tripod (heel, big toe, pinky toe) in contact with the ground.

4. Slant Board Squats

Elevate your toes and slowly bend your knees forward. Feel your ankles open up and your arches engage.

5. Heel Raises with Second Toe Alignment

Use a mirror. Rise onto your toes, keeping your ankle stacked over the second toe. Control the descent. This trains proper push-off mechanics.

What Happens When You Train Your Feet?

With consistent practice, people notice:

• More spring in their step (literally)

• Less knee and hip pain

• Better balance and posture

• Faster running acceleration

• A new awareness of how they move

You won’t just move more—you’ll move better.

The Takeaway

It doesn’t matter if you’re a weekend runner, a CrossFit enthusiast, or just someone who wants to feel better getting out of bed in the morning—your feet matter.

They’re not just the things at the bottom of your legs.

They’re sensors. Springs. Shock absorbers. Levers. And when they work well, everything else falls into place.

So if your movement feels clunky, your squats feel stuck, or your runs feel like a grind—it might be time to start with your feet.

Need Help?

At The Body Lab, we specialise in helping people move better from the ground up. Through movement therapy, gait assessment, and hands-on techniques, we help you restore motion, reconnect with your body, and move with more ease and less pain.

Ready to feel the difference?

[Book a session with Riccardo]

References

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