Sandals Are Bad | Ep. 42
Sandals are foot killers for athletes. Here’s why… Athletes pound their feet a lot. Jumping, running, sprinting, lifting all increase the stress placed on your feet. When we are not working out our feet need time to recover. Sandals don’t allow proper foot recovery.
To understand why lets look at some quick foot anatomy. Most superficial, just under the skin we have the plantar fascia. It’s a thick band of connective tissue that connects from the medial (inside) heel bone (calcaneus) to the metatarsal heads. When the toes are bent back during gait the plantar fascia tightens, supporting the arch of the foot (windlass effect).
Sandals make us scrunch our toes to hold them on. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put the rest together. Decreased toe extension means less windlass effect. Less windlass effect means the plantar fascia isn’t helping out as much. Now, the muscles mentioned above need to work harder. We can only hold the pedal to the floor so long before the engine blows.
Today’s Prescription:
- Muscle Mash (FDB, Abd hal, Abd Dig Min) – 2-4 mins/foot
- Plantar Pin & Stretch – 30x/foot
- Continue Pull-up Challenge
Don’t Mash Blind – Know Your Anatomy
Highlighted Left to Right: Abductor Hallicus, Flexor Digitorum Brevis, Abductor Digiti Minimi
