Healthy Feet 1.0
With the onset of spring, and hints of some hot summer days in there as well, the great outdoors is starting to call as social restrictions ease significantly on the surf coast.
Walking, jogging and running whether it is around where you live, in many of the gorgeous nature trails inland or along the coast is not only phenomenal exercise, it is exercise we all have access to throughout restrictions. This is a brilliant option for those of us who don’t have access to our regular gym at the moment, or who want to take advantage of the warmer weather and the beautiful nature-filled place we live.
However, for many of us this call is coming at a time where we have been balancing months of relative inactivity. With social distancing restrictions, juggling homeschooling and working from home commitments taking priority.
“You don’t use it, you lose it”. Sadly our bodies do not care about the reasons why we have been inside, only that we are inside. This means if we want to get back into regular activity, we will have to acclimatise to the training stimulus. This is ensuring we have these key factors to complete any task:
- Adequate range of motion
- Strength within that range of motion
- Ability to complete the movement pattern at speed
- Ability to complete the movement pattern repeatedly, without sacrificing efficiency
When it comes to walking, jogging, running and sprinting, the health of the feet, ankles and hips are paramount. This next series of blogs will be targeted at some strategies you can do at home to ensure our ankles and hips are prepared for the adventures we want to take!
The First Step:
Putting our ‘best foot forward’ means ensuring our front foot is doing what it is meant to do. Being a flexible force adapter when we hit the ground. These movements are designed for this exact reason, and these can be done at home! All you need is a towel and a wall or door frame to lean on.
1. Regular anterior step calf stretch on wall.
2. Left leg anterior. Rotate body to the left. Knee driver. Towel under outside of heel.
3. Left leg anterior. Rotate body to the left. Knee driver. Towel under outside of heel. Second towel under inside of front foot.
These are very generalised strategies, and if you feel like your feet and ankles are having a hard time getting back into walking and jogging, please feel free to contact us at the clinic on (03) 5244 0063 and organise a personalised consultation.
The team at Be Well Health Group