It’s summertime and as the weather warms up our footwear changes with it. Sandals, thongs, slip on shoes (barefoot anyone?) It is important to look after our feet since they carry our whole body weight everyday as we walk and move throughout our day. The shoes that we wear also have an effect other parts of our body and create tension pain if not wearing supportive shoes.
How many of us own a pair of thongs? Most of us do. Handy pair of shoes when going to the beach, getting a pedicure, going to the shops. However, when you wear thongs or slipper type shoes, the way your feet and ankles move change! As you walk, your toes grip with each step to keep them from slipping off. This may not sound like much, but this can actually build up tension in the ankles and calves from the repetitive action. Solution? Get slip on shoes or thongs that have an ankle strap to keep it from slipping off and reduce the gripping action.
If you are on your feet for most of the day, have you ever noticed other areas of your body aching? If the shoes you are wearing are not supportive then this can affect the whole biomechanics of your lower body. If your foot and ankle are not moving right then your knees are affected, your hips, lower back, even your neck! The body tries to compensate for any instabilities so help your body out with supportive shoes with a good insole and stable heel.
We spend a lot of time on our feet so it is important to maintaining good mobility through the ankle and calf. Stretching the calf muscles and using a spiky ball under the sole of the foot can provide great relief and improve the way your body moves. We have heaps of stretching and mobility videos on our social media pages and on our website under the Resources tab. Check them out!
