From the Ground Up: Let's Put It Into Practice

Bi-weekly tips, habits, and practice guide for building a better back—improving poor posture that is making you look (& feel) old.

Release tight feet, wake up your arches, move your toes and put everything into practice.

Over the last several issues, we've spent a lot of time looking down at our feet.

We've talked about why they matter, what happens when they start complaining, how your arches affect everything above them, and most recently, how to actually notice what your own feet are telling you.

Now it's time to put all of that knowledge into practice.

I created a simple 10-minute, Basic Foot Care 101 you can do at home with no fancy equipment. We'll release tight tissue, create space between the toes, improve mobility, wake up some often-forgotten muscles, and even challenge your balance.

Because learning about your feet is helpful.

But your body changes when you use what you've learned.

Think of this practice as a little tune-up for your foundation.

We begin seated with hands-on massage along the bottom of the foot, working into the plantar fascia. Then we'll create space between the toes, mobilize the foot and ankle, and stretch those toes in directions they may not have visited in a while!

Then we stand up and things get a little more interesting.

You'll try my Walk of Fame - walking on the balls of your feet, heels, outside edges and inside edges. We'll add standing ankle circles for mobility, with the bonus of challenging balance and stability in the opposite leg.

Finally, we'll work more specifically with Short Foot, Long Foot and individual toe stretches to help you find and activate muscles you probably don't think about very often.

The movements don't need to be big or forceful.

Remember:

Find it → Feel it → Move it.

Your feet may be small, but there is a LOT happening down there.

There's something you'll hear me say throughout this practice:

Don't get stuck on the rules. Listen to your body.

Thirty seconds is a guideline. Four repetitions are a guideline. How far you stretch is a guideline.

Your body gets a vote.

A tight area may want a little more time. One foot may move differently from the other. Something that feels easy on one side might feel surprisingly difficult on the other.

We're looking for tolerable discomfort → not pain.

Instead of forcing your body into a position because you think you should be able to do it, get curious about what you feel.

That awareness is where better movement begins.

If you're wondering, “Which of these exercises do I actually need?” - start by listening to your feet.

Feet feel tight or stiff?
Start with RELEASE + MOBILIZE: massage, toe spacing and gentle movement.

Toes feel cramped or don't move well?
Spend more time with STRETCH: toe spacing, curling, extending and individual toe stretches.

Flatter, less responsive arches?
Explore ACTIVATE with Short Foot to begin waking up the muscles supporting the arch.

Higher, more rigid arches?
Focus more on LENGTHENING with Long Foot: spreading the toes and allowing the foot to become longer and more adaptable.

Balance feeling a little shaky?
Practice STABILIZE with the Walk of Fame and supported ankle circles.

You don't have to do everything every day.

Find what your feet need and give them a little of it consistently.

That's how body awareness becomes better movement.

This week's resource is the practice and this is one you'll want to bookmark.

In just over 10 minutes, we'll move through a complete foot reset:

RELEASE → MOBILIZE → STRETCH → ACTIVATE → STABILIZE

You'll work through plantar fascia massage, toe spacing, foot mobilization, toe stretches, my Walk of Fame, ankle circles, Short Foot, Long Foot and individual toe stretches.

All you need are bare feet and a sturdy chair or countertop for support.

And here's the best part: once you learn the exercises, you don't have to do the entire practice every time.

Choose the two or three exercises your feet seem to need that day.

Five minutes of consistent foot care is better than waiting for the “perfect” time to do everything.

Your feet don't work alone.

Every time you stand, walk, climb stairs, exercise or simply balance - the way your feet interact with the ground influences what happens farther up the chain.

So as we wrap up our From the Ground Up series, I want you to remember one thing:

Better posture doesn't always start by pulling your shoulders back.

Sometimes it starts by looking all the way down.

Take care of your foundation - and give the rest of your body something better to stand on. 👣