A possible cause for your back pain and other factors affecting your body mechanics is the shoes that you wear?
I agree when you say that you have the best standing desk, you do exercise every day, and you opt-in for the stairs as opposed to taking the lift. But what if you are shooting yourself in the foot when entirely your footwear selection was the one that was the main culprit behind the back pain?
Anatomy of the foot is that it is composed of
- 26 bones
- 33 joints
- Up and above 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments
The foot creation is not any normal human being’s work. It was created in such a way to create control and movement.
Back in time, people used to walk barefoot. Since there were no shoes during those periods, people used to struggle a lot and the feet used to be constantly challenged by undulating surfaces that used to keep them strong as compared to the modern man. However in today’s world, it is not possible at all to walk barefoot and in all honesty a person would be considered a social reject if they wear shoes to either a gym or their workplace. Imagine seeing someone like that!
Simply said, if we cram our feet into narrow-toed shoes or shoes that do not fit us at all, we hamper and restrict the movement of our feet which otherwise would naturally curl and turn in a comfortable pair of shoe. This greatly alters the way we function thus hampering and putting strain on our bodies.
When our footwear isn’t comfortable and completely adjusted to our feet, these natural movements of our feet get restricted and we end up sending those ground’n’pound forces to our hips, joints, ligaments and other parts of our body. And our very own, LOWER BACK muscles and bones.
You must be thinking that I have ranted for 300 words talking about what bad shoes do to you and how your body takes a beating if you wear one, let me now elaborate how we can eliminate these factors of pain by following the below-mentioned routines.
WALK OUTSIDE IN THE OPEN BAREFOOT
For the majority of you readers, this pointer must have come as a shocker.
Every once in a while, walk around the mother earth barefoot. Let your feet feel the ground below you. Squeeze the sand between your toes. Reminded you of your childhood days didn’t I?
Spread your toes wide open in the grass and feel the warmth of the ground. Do not be surprised when you start feeling a bit of a pinch in your feet muscles. Congratulations! These are those tiny muscles in your feet that were always forced to sleep in your shoes.
EVER HEARD OF BAREFOOT SHOES? GET ONE!
Not the cheapest of the options, but with the modernization in place; you can still pick up one of those barefoot shoes to help aid the process.
You will definitely need a massive adaption mentality in order to get used to these shoes. Please do note that barefoot shoes aren’t meant to be used by everybody. Always consult your orthopaedic doctor before you hop onto the internet or pop down into your local shoe store to pick up a pair.
ALWAYS EXERCISE YOUR FEET
It is not always important that you keep your feet covered in your cushy-shoes. Self-mobilization is the key aspect of this topic, and hence I am a strong believer of the fact that you should always help move your feet with your hands in circular motions and back and forth. This not only helps stimulate the blood flow but also helps greatly eliminate factors that might end up being a trouble for you or your health at a later stage. Make it a habit to practice this almost on daily basis. You do not necessarily need to do this for hours; just a few minutes a day is enough.
TRY TO TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF AT WORK
This yet is a great way to stimulate your feet. Most of the people can get away with removing their shoes off when at work. If your employer doesn’t have anything against you removing your shoes, then please make it a habit to do so every day for few hours at work. Obviously, you shouldn’t be removing your socks in the office environment. Unless if you have some personal hygiene issues, which in its own is a different story that needs to be attended to on an urgent basis.
USE OF ORTHOTIC INSERTS OR CUSTOM INSOLES
Think about investing in a decent pair of custom insoles. These can be the thing that your shoes lacked when it comes down to aid in protecting yourself from picking up back pain. My all-time favourite is gel-insoles.
Conclusion
Curb back on your pain; rather it is your back or hip or shin or whatever, get back to the basic instincts of a human being and take a minimalist approach when it comes down to your footwear.
If you liked the article above, then please leave a comment below and I’d be happy to engage further with you on this topic.