By Sarah Bourne
Feet – they carry us around all day, and unless we have shoes that give us blisters, or we
suffer an accident or some sort of damage – for example, Plantar Fasciitis – we don’t give
them much thought.
I heard something a while ago that made me sit up and think. I was doing a workshop with a
senior Iyengar teacher from the US who has also studied anatomy, and she told us a worrying
fact: from the age of 30, the muscles in our feet start atrophying (i.e. wasting), potentially
causing dropped arches, pain and balance/proprioception issues. And if we can’t balance too
well, we can fall. Of course, there are many reasons people can fall – poor vision, hazards in
the environment, illnesses including diabetes and neurological issues, but if we can address
any foot degeneration problems, our chances of falling are reduced.
The foot is an amazing piece of engineering, containing 26 bones and 29 muscles, as well as
the Plantar Fascia which holds the whole thing together. The whole structure softens to
cushion our landing as we step onto it and tightens to push off for the next step. If these
muscles weaken or atrophy, problems can start.
In my classes, we regularly do what I call Toe Gym. Every time I mention it, some students
groan, but they all give it their best, and I believe they are all benefiting from the practice!
They’ll be the ones still dancing and keeping active when their friends are having falls.
If you want to check out some exercises you can do, try this website.
https://welltech.com/content/8-yoga-feet-stretches-to-do-every-day/
