We’ve built hard, flat surfaces everywhere, which look nice and make getting around pretty smooth, but also leave our bodies potentially exposed to some serious mechanical problems.
Nerves from our lower back plug into the skin and muscles of our feet. These nerves allow our feet to communicate with our back, and vice versa. The interesting thing is, when our feet are awake, so are the muscles in our lower back. Wriggle your feet, squeeze your toes, and the nerves in your low back will light up with information, making your low back muscles more alert, more protective.
Hard, flat surfaces are so uninteresting for us to walk on that before long, our feet are literally bored senseless. Arches collapse, toes point in odd directions, and they end up being weak and switched off bits at the ends of our legs. What’s more, our lower back becomes very vulnerable. It’s no coincidence that the most commonly injured discs and joints of our entire spine are those in the lower back whose nerves connect to the feet.
We’re designed to move over terrain that is far more fascinating – grass, trails, rocks – and in bare feet we can supercharge the nervous system even more, for stronger, more alive feet and a more protected low back. Of course, it’s not practical to have bare feet all the time, but at least keep your brain plugged into them, so that they’re awake and moving when you’re standing and walking in your shoes. And whenever you get the chance, lose the shoes for a few minutes or more on the grass, rocks and trails.
If you have any foot issues holding you back, pop in and see us.
