Or rather, strong feet and ankles and why they are so important for having strong glutes.
Anything happening at your hips and in your glutes, might have started with an issue in your ankles and feet… or are the issues you are experiencing at your hips and in your glutes responsible for what is happening in your feet and ankles?
Anatomy of your Feet and Ankles
The tibia and fibula bones of your lower leg sit upon the talus, cuboid, navicular and calcaneus bones, making up your ankle. Further down, is the cuboid bone with the three cuneiform bones sitting alongside it.
Then five metatarsal bones make up the mid foot, then the phalange bones which make up your toes.
There are 20 muscles in each foot, as well as 100 tendons and ligaments, 26 bones and 33 joints. There are also a whopping 250,000 sweat glands in each foot.
There are 7 different muscles which aid plantarflexion and dorsiflexion of your foot, that is the toes pointing down and toes pointing up.
Because a quarter of all your bones are in your feet… read that again, a QUARTER of your bones are in your feet, it means that any issues in the feet will likely make the whole body feel off kilter… including your hips and glutes which are capable of absorbing a lot of poor movement.
On average, you will walk about 100,00 miles in your lifetime… so look after those feet.
Issues with Your Feet and Ankles
If you are experiencing discomfort somewhere in one of your feet, or an ankle, chances are it is one of the issues listed below.
Achilles Tendinitis
Is a soreness of the tendon which attaches your calf muscles, the gastrocnemius and the soleus, with the calcaneus bone of your foot. Characterised by tenderness, swelling in the tendon, reduced mobility. Immediate de-load of activity is necessary to prevent a rupture or chronic discomfort.
Plantar Fasciitis
Is the fascia that connects the heel bone to the toes and runs underside of your foot. This can become inflamed through sudden increase of intensity or duration of activity, as well as wearing ill-fitting shoes or a weakness in your lower limb muscles or the hip flexors and glutes.
Stress Fracture
Happens more commonly in the foot than many other places of the body, due to the nature of it taking the whole body’s weight in every activity. The navicular bone as well as the metatarsals are frequent culprits and like with any break, weakness and soreness will alert you that something is not quite right. An x-ray is the only way to know for sure. Many people stress fracture parts of the foot and never get it checked. While it is possible to heal without too much intervention, it is a good idea to know exactly what is happening, to prevent possible future complications or issues with foot mobility.
Metatarsalagia
This is when the ball of your foot becomes sore and inflamed. Commonly found in running and jumping sports but can be caused by foot deformities and ill-fitting shoes.
Mortons Neuroma
Is a thickening of tissues around one of the nerves between the metatarsals, effectively squeezing the nerve. This can create a burning, stinging or numb feeling.
Peroneal Tendinopathy
is when the muscles on the outside of the ankle, the peroneals, become injured and cause discomfort. These help the ankle and foot move in an outward direction as well as helping the foot point downwards.
There are many more issues that can happen with your feet and ankles, either as a result of something happening at the hips, or as a result of a genuine problem originating in your feet… but then travelling up your body. Still not sure what is going on? Chat with a professional to find out what to do to optimise your recovery and help you move well for life….
Thank you for taking time to read this week’s blog – The Importance of Glutes.
Don’t forget to get your next sports massage at www.astralfitness.co.uk. You can use my Booking Link or check out my website for a little further information at www.astralfitness.co.uk
We look forward to helping you.
Chloe & Jen