By Margot McKinnon, founder of Body Harmonics Pilates in Toronto

When you ask clients about their feet they usually respond with a quizzical look. Unless there is pain or the possibility of purchasing a snappy new pair of shoes, feet are rarely on anyone’s mind.

Why should anyone care about feet? They connect us to the ground. Their architecture is the foundation for all of the body parts above. Feet propel us forward, backward and sideways. Each foot spreads the body’s weight over an area large enough to support and distribute the pressure as we stand, walk or run. This is quite miraculous when you compare the size of our feet to rest of the body’s height, size and weight.

More curious is the set of beliefs people hold about feet. Unfortunately, many beliefs are based in myth rather than fact.

Myth #1: Feet are comprised of a few bones.
There are actually 26 bones in each foot—a fact that surprises most people. The common assumption is that there is one bone per toe and a big bony mass that forms the arched area of the foot and the heel. Just the revelation that the foot contains many small bones instantly changes the perception of what a foot is and its possibility for movement.

Myth #2: A foot is capable of only limited movement.
There is a complex and layered system of ligaments and muscles in the foot that provides both stability and movement to the bones. The foot is intended to be both pliable and supple to be able to navigate changing terrain. As the foot pushes off the ground it acts like a stable, strong lever that propels us forward.

Myth #3: Each foot has one arch.
Each foot has three arches: the lateral longitudinal, the medial longitudinal and the transverse.

When the three arches are balanced and the architecture of the foot is intact, there are three distinct points of contact on the sole of the foot. It is easy to visualize these points because they form a triangle that spans the bottom of the foot.

From the diagram you can see that #1 corresponds to the heel (the calcaneus), #2 to the base of the baby toe (the fifth metatarsal), and #3 to the base of the big toe (the first metatarsal head).

When we stand, the distribution of weight should be the following: the heel should receive the majority of the body’s weight, the first metatarsal head should be secondary in its capacity, and the fifth metatarsal head should support the least amount of the body’s weight.
 
Myth #4: Footprints are nothing more than a representation of our feet.
On the contrary, footprints indicate the myofascial and ligamentous organization of the feet, ankles, knees and hip joints. They also illustrate the amount of weight being transmitted to each leg. So, the imprint of a foot can reveal a lot about the integrity of all the weight-bearing joints.  

Myth #5: The ankle joint is part of the foot.
Structurally the foot and ankle are separate. Functionally they work together. The ankle joint is comprised of three bones: the talus (the ankle bone) which sits more or less on top of the calcaneus (heel) and the distal ends of the two lower leg bones (the fibula on the lateral side, and the tibia on the medial side).

THE PARTS OF THE ANKLE

The “true” ankle is considered to be the talus and its articulations with the tibia and fibula. The true ankle is responsible for two actions only: plantar flexion (pointing the toes) and dorsiflexion (flexing the foot).

The second part of the ankle can be labeled the “sub-ankle.” It is no less important than the “true ankle,” but it is located below, between the talus and the calcaneus. The subtalar joint is responsible for pronation and supination. Pronation is like rolling to the inside of your foot. Supination is like rolling to the outside of your foot. Contrary to popular belief it is imperative that we pronate and supinate. These are essential actions of the subtalar joint in any weight-bearing activity like walking or running.

HELPING CLIENTS CONNECT TO THEIR FEET

Have your client or clients to stand up and check the distribution of weight in their feet. Ask them to imagine the three points of the triangle and assess how the points touch the ground. Does one foot press into the ground differently than the other? What happens when they change position (without straining of course!), so the majority of weight is in their heels, then toward the big toes, and finally toward the baby toes? How do these adjustments feel in the legs, the pelvis and the spine?

The point is not to hold ourselves in unnatural positions, but rather to assess where our weight-bearing patterns in relation to the triangle image. The more our weight distribution approximates the triangular configuration, the more likely it is that ground forces will travel through our feet and up into our legs, pelvis and spine in an organized manner.  
 

FOOT-FRIENDLY EXERCISES

1. Movin’ Groovin’ Toes
Sit on a chair and lean forward so you can see your feet. Place your feet so your ankles are directly below your knees. Feet should be relatively parallel to each other, approximately hip width apart.
• Lift and lower all five toes up and down.
• Lift and lower the big toe up and down.
• Glide the big toe away from and back toward the other toes.
• Glide the baby toe away from and back toward the other toes.

2. Building the Long Arches
These two exercises can be done sitting or standing. Place your feet so your ankles are directly below your knees. Feet should be relatively parallel to each other, approximately hip-width apart.

Medial Arch
Keep toes and heel flat on the floor, and lift your instep up as if it was a dome. Lower the arch with control.

Lateral Arch
Keep toes flat and still on the floor as you try to glide your heel forward toward your 4th and 5th toes. The outer arch starts to feel like it lifts or domes away from the floor.

3. Ankle Rotations
Stand with the heel of one foot lifted off the floor (as if in a high-heeled shoe); keep the toes and ball of that foot planted on the floor, and draw a circle with the heel.

About the Author

Margot McKinnon is studio director and founder of Body Harmonics Pilates in Toronto. Margot first trained at Body Matrix Pilates Downtown in Toronto, and PMI in the U.S. She is a certified teacher with the Pilates Method Alliance and has studied with Karen Carlson, Diane Miller, Marika Molner, Alan Herdman, Cathie Murakami, and Marie Jose Blom-Lawrence. She holds a B.A. from McGill University and a B.Ed and M.Ed. in adult education from the University of Toronto.