How often do you think about your feet? They are arguably the hardest working part of the body. They support us from the moment we get out of bed and then as we move through daily life, standing, walking the kids to school, dogs around parks, running for the bus or climbing stairs. One foot in front of the other is literally how most of us move through life.
When we are standing our feet are the only body part in contact with the ground, meaning they’re primarily responsible for keeping us upright and balanced, and are constantly managing the load of the body above and absorbing varying degrees of force we generate in our daily activities, movements, and exercise. Given the demand we place on them, and their role as the foundation of our bodies and our movement, you might not be surprised to hear that we place a high importance on keeping feet mobile and strong in the Pilates environment. Whether it’s in the form of a foot massage with a green ball, a calf stretch with the half roller, or mid foot marching, your feet will get some form of care and attention through your appointment.
The exercise ‘footwork’ is considered one of the foundational sequences within a Pilates practice in the studio environment. Chances are that if you’re doing weekly classes then you’re frequently (if not every week) guided through a footwork sequence on the reformer, chair or trapeze table - and it’s no coincidence, your teacher is choosing these sequences based on the importance of the role they play within the body, and their importance within a whole body movement sequence.
If you’ve already experienced footwork at some point you’ll know that there are many facets to the exercise, it’s a whole body exercise with many benefits! Here’s MY top five benefits of the exercise we call footwork…
Ankle & Foot Mobility
Within the ankle and foot there are multiple joints that allow us to respond dynamically to the demands of our environments- such as stepping from uneven rock to uneven rock on a bushwalk, walking on cobblestones, or catching yourself if you roll your ankle. By working the feet and ankles in a variety of positions on the footbar we can increase their adaptability to different environments and therefore reduce the occurrence of injury in the area or further up the body.
Plantarfascia Health
The foot has connective tissue called plantar fascia that stretches from the heel to the toe pads, it provides support for your arch and enhances the shock absorbing capabilities of the whole foot. When the fascia is tight or stiff the feet can be quite tender to walk on (particularly in the colder weather or mornings). Footwork can be hydrating for fascia in the feet, allowing it to move freely and responsively, but there’s also a chain reaction up into the legs, pelvis and spine, limiting the occurrence of lower limb injuries and preventing plantar fasciitis.
Intrinsic Foot Strength
There are 29 muscles in each foot and 19 of those are intrinsic - the ‘core’ muscles of your feet. These muscles impact the shape of your foot, your gait (the way you walk), your posture, and joint function further up the chain. Having strong intrinsic foot muscles will allow you to stand for longer, reduce aches and pains in your feet, and reduce the occurrence of pain in your knees, hip and lower back (it’s all connected). And if you have a hypermobile body type, or flat feet then this is particularly important for whole body function.
Lower Limb Alignment
Building awareness of your leg alignment is really important - your feet and ankles directly influence how your knees and hips manage load and more dynamic coordinated movements like climbing stairs, lunging, running etc. When we move from double leg to single leg footwork variations you’ll notice a change in how the feet manage the load of the body.
It feels GOOD!
Laying on your back, to work through a set sequence of movements, whilst tuning into your breath can help to centre your mind and prepare your body for the more challenging and coordinated work ahead. Pushing out to stretch your legs and feeling the spring tension increase as they provide feedback to the joints, along with a feeling of compression that can be really calming to the nervous system. If you come into the studio feeling stressed and tired after a long day chances are some footwork will be a good remedy for both your mind and body!
So there you have it, five reasons why I personally love footwork and why you’ll see it feature in almost all of your classes and workouts. Ask another teacher and it’s possible they’d give you some other reasons why footwork is such a great tool for teaching movement- there’s just so many benefits to focusing on your physical foundations.
Lilly Wicks
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