There was an article on Mark’s Daily Apple recently that addresses the plight of the flatfooted runner.  Since I liked to blame genetics for my duck feet, I read on.  Quite disappointingly, I went on to learn that I bought into many of the fallacies spawned by the shoe industry.  I also believed that those with high arches needed specific shoes to support them or risk great pain–or worse–fallen arches and flat feet!

Well, Mark Sisson goes into the true culprit behind the weakening of our feet: SHOES (particularly any shoe that has a raised heel of any kind–sorry ladies).  Numerous studies have been done comparing the feet of those who have grown up barefoot and those who have worn shoes:

Here's a barefoot walker

Child's Foot Before Shoes and After 3 Months of Shoes

Now, I’ve decided that it’s in everyone’s best interest not to post a pic of my own feet, but they sure do resemble Child A’s feet.  Our feet are genetically predisposed to WANT to walk barefoot.  So, over time, they adapted to the confines of our shoes, but at a cost to us.

How do we remedy this?  Mark posts a list of things we can do:

1. Stay away from orthotics and shoes with “plenty of arch support.” Rather than help you solve your problem, shoes with arch supports prop you up and lead to weak, atrophied foot musculature. Your feet aren’t grasping, pulling, pushing, and flexing inside a pair of athletic trainers; they’re growing soft and growing weak. Fixing, or at least mitigating, your flat feet is going to require some serious foot strength.

2.  Spend as much time as humanly possible with your bare feet.   Take your shoes off at home.   Walk the dog barefoot.  Go to the beach and walk barefoot.  You get the idea.
3. Try toe running. Hop on the treadmill (wear socks to reduce slippage) and do five or six minutes of light jogging. Stay on your toes the entire time. This strengthens the ligaments and muscles (there are over a hundred of ‘em in the human foot) and prepares them for future activity.

4. Do toe spreads.  Sit, stand, or lie down and fan your toes out as widely as possible. Create space between each toe. Hold this position for ten seconds, and repeat the exercise ten times daily per foot.

 

5. Point at things with your toes. Pick something, anything, in the room and point your toes at it. Now flex your foot. Hold it for five seconds, then release. Again, do this ten times per foot each day. For extra work, try tracing the alphabet with your feet in midair each day.

6. Get on your toes. Stand on your tippy-toes and just walk around for five minutes each day.

7. Try side walking. Stand up (barefoot, of course) and get in a shoulder wide stance. Bend your knees slightly and roll onto the outer edges of your feet. Keep the weight on your outer feet and slowly raise up on your toes. You should feel your longitudinal arch stretching; once you do, hold that position for five seconds. Repeat five times each day.

8. Walk in sand. Sand is never the same.  Your feet have to constantly adapt and work.  It’s also just another excuse to go to the beach!

Remember guys: GO SLOWLY! As with everything CrossFit, there are progressions for every movement. Don’t let me catch you casting away your shoes and attempt Murph, Michael, or Nicole barefoot. Do these exercises, find shoes with less support, and allow your feet to build the muscle and adapt!

WOD 10.16.09