Good Posture Starts With The Feet!

 When people have pain in their bodies from misalignment, there are many factors that come into play. Pain can be caused by structural or emotional issues, stress, bad habits, bad diet, and more. There is never one solution that solves everything. One needs to look at the whole person and come at the problem from many angles. But I’m going to focus on one of the causes in this blog, which is improving structural alignment through attention to the feet.

People come to me to improve their posture, and the first thing I look at is their feet— how they’re standing and walking. The feet are the foundation of posture and alignment. If I don’t address their feet, they won’t be able to get any lasting change.

When someone buys a house, if the foundation was not done properly, twenty years down the road they might see cracks in the ceiling and find other problems. Up until then, they don’t notice anything. It’s the same with their bodies. The body forgives many things for the first twenty years of life, and then little by little it stops forgiving. When people start having problems in their neck and hips, it’s good to take a look at their feet and see how they’re standing and walking.

Nine out of ten people that come to me walk either on their heels and/or on the outer edges of their feet. They lock their knees when they stand, tilt back their pelvis, and have their upper body behind their pelvis when they walk. The first thing I ask them to do is roll a tennis ball back and forth under one foot for about three to five minutes. Then I have them stand on both feet and feel the difference between each foot. Next, I ask them to be aware of the difference between both sides of their bodies all the way up to their necks. They’re profoundly surprised by what they discover.

When people relax the muscles in their feet, the feet have more contact with the floor. When the feet have more contact with the floor, the musculature all the way up to the neck can relax. This is the beginning of change. After they relax both feet by rolling the tennis ball, I have them do certain stretches to elongate their toes. Finally, I have them do calf stretches. Then they stand on both feet and can see that they are even more connected to the floor and that their bodies feel relaxed, hold less tension, and are more open.

Once their feet are grounded, then I can look at how their weight is distributed over their feet. Their knees must be soft and flexible (not rigid or locked) in order for them to carry their weight over the transverse arch (the highest arch) and the longitudinal arch (the longest and strongest arch). Only then can the pelvis come into alignment. The pelvis is the keystone to the spine’s alignment, but the pelvis cannot align itself unless the feet are grounded and the knees are soft with the body’s weight distributed over the middle of the arches.

Once the pelvis is in the proper position, the rest of the spine can then realign itself. However, the minute people lock their knees, their weight shifts to their heels, causing the pelvis to tilt back and tighten the musculature in the hips and lower back all the way up to the neck.

The word pelvis means basin, which is its true function. It’s meant to sit upright in order to hold the intestines and other organs. If it’s tilted back, it’s not able to do its job and the abdomen will protrude. This is when I introduce the “Functional Stance,” a specific posture that aligns the pelvis and improves posture profoundly. I will explain the “Functional Stance” in another blog. When the pelvis is aligned properly, it will naturally tone the abdominal muscles. People can relearn how to stand and walk correctly, which can take time because they’ve had bad habits resulting in poor posture for so long. But the results of retraining the body to achieve correct posture are profound and life changing.

I use the protocol I’ve just described with all my private clients, as well as with my ballet students. All my ballet classes start with these exercises, not only to align the pelvis for ballet technique, but also because by having their feet more connected to the floor, and having their weight over their arches, it takes pressure off the hip sockets allowing the hips to turn out further.

Self-care for the feet is so important. I recommend that people soak their feet at night in Epsom salts and a few drops of Lavender essential oil, then massage their feet with coconut oil or foot cream, and finally wear cotton socks to bed. When they wake up, I recommend rolling the tennis ball under each foot before starting their day. By paying more loving attention to their feet that work so hard to support their bodies every day of their lives, people will find that their entire bodies will be happier in return!

Anyone interested in working with me privately to improve his or her posture are encouraged to contact me at mkrasner5@yahoo.com or 702-493-6443. I would love to be of help!

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