Truly walking again

After nearly two months walking the pavement and sidewalks in our neighborhood, I finally ventured out on a trail yesterday morning for a hike — and it was wonderful! Even though I knew intellectually about the number of bones (26) and joints (33) in each foot, I had forgotten kinesthetically how it felt to move all of those bones and joints in a myriad of ways. Just walking on flat, level surfaces does not provide the same stimulation and movement in our feet. And though I’m a dancer, and often experience more foot work and movement than the average person, that type of movement is still occurring on a level surface, which means that the number of joint variations is limited. It is an entirely different experience to be hiking along rocky trails, with my feet navigating and adjusting to each step.

All of these joints in our feet are there so that we CAN move them — so we should! Find environments and surfaces that allow your feet more variety than the standard flat surface. And make sure your choice of footwear allows for movement — if you wear stiff, immobile shoes and walk on uneven surfaces, you will merely be transferring all of those forces up into the knee and hip, and your body may not thank you.

And, crucially, enjoy the outdoors as much as possible :)