I was home in July visiting my family and my mom was recovering from an injury in her ankles. I watched her walk to the car with me on the way to my nephew’s taekwondo class.
I noticed that her legs were rotated from her hips which looked like toes to the side instead of facing forward. I asked her to try and push off with her big toe to see how that felt. It didn’t give her pain, so it was ok to explore. This also had her move her legs into a more parallel position instead of the rotated one she was in before.
From a structural perspective, there are certain things to focus on for muscle engagement that gives our bodies the most bang for their buck. Pushing off with the big toe can help us use more range of motion of our ankles as well as engage our glutes while it’s moving us forward. We don’t have to be aware that all these things are happening but they are a great added benefit!
The reason we have a big toe and the reason it’s bigger than the others is because we need it to push off while we’re walking. It propels us forward in gait. Ideally, when we push off of the left toe, the right arm swings forward and vice versa on the left. This gets the spirals going in the body and allows our hips to make a figure 8. We want all these things to be in the flow when we’re moving so that the supporting muscles have the strength to hold our structure in motion.
I’ve had this click on the inside of my left knee that has come and gone since the winter. It’s not painful, just annoying. I’ve had a feeling that it’s coming from my pelvis, but I haven’t invested the time to figure out what’s going on just yet.
In the pilates session I had before my visit, we did an exercise that isolated each side of my pelvic floor. It was hard for me to feel a connection on the left but it was clear there was strength on the right. This is exactly why I wanted to work with Talese. In the process of getting back to regular movement, I’ve noticed less awareness and strength in one sided exercises. It feels like my brain isn’t connected sometimes and I need the nerves to tell the muscles to fire.
I was on my walking pad the day after I got back to Brooklyn and the click in my knee started again. I thought about what I noticed in my mom’s feet, so I decided to see what pushing off of my big toes would do for me….
After a couple of steps, the click in my knee went away and everything clicked in my brain!
The inner arch of the foot is connected to the pelvic floor through one of the lines of fascia in the body. Fascia is connective tissue that surrounds your muscles and bones to hold everything in place. Scientists have been studying fascia and it seems like the more they learn, the more questions they have. The more I read about mycelium (fungi roots), the more similar fascia seems to them.
There’s a whole system in the soil of communication and support through the mycelium. Trees can send water or nutrients to others in need. They can also alert their offspring if something’s in the environment that could negatively affect them so they can protect themselves. Similarly, fascia acts as a system of communication and support for our bodies.
In this month’s video, I’ll go over the basics of optimal gait from your feet and hips. If you’re looking to add strength to your butt to support your low back better, you’ll want to tune in. If you try it, let me know your experience and of course ask me any questions that come up for you. I want to make sure you have the tools you need to feel confident in taking care of your body.