Not many people think about something like our legs at least from time to time during their exercise. By this I do not mean legs in the sense of the volume or shape of the entire lower limbs. I rather mean the foot than the lowest part of our body, I can say the foot that carries us. Our feet are the first part on our body to come into contact with the ground. How well we stand up literally shapes us. Why is this so?

We learn interesting things from various works of wise people. This is also the case with us. Specifically, Professor Vladimír Janda has already revealed that there is a large concentration of proprioceptors (sensory receptors that perceive the position and movement of our body) in our feet. Since our feet are almost constantly in contact with the ground, the receptors stored in them collect all the information into the so-called afferent nervous system (the nervous system that transmits all stimuli from the periphery to the brain centers). This system, which includes sensory information, has a direct influence on our other efferent nervous system (which is the exact opposite of afferent and therefore conducts the impulse from the nerve center in the opposite direction, to the periphery) which generates the motor pattern itself, the movement. This means that if our sensory input is reduced or incorrect, our motor output, any movement will be inefficient, sometimes even incorrect.

In my opinion, these could literally be a few “bulletproof” facts that could resonate with us. To pause and even before standing under the barbell or running your training dose of running, think about something like this – is our stance, walking or running step enough to get the most out of it? To develop, not only our strength, but above all functionality, is everything we do and especially how do we do it sufficient? What will happen to us if we walk, exercise or run like this a few months or years apart? Questions that are actually very difficult to answer! Indeed, the hackneyed cliché “only time will tell” may apply. I will also mention another wise man in the issue of the human body, and that is Dr. Liebenson, who said a beautiful idea: “Exercise should actually be our medicine”… And this could also be the following exercises for our legs:

1. Foot roll with a ball – by adding foot rolling with a ball at the beginning of training or at the end of a demanding day, we can get several benefits. By rolling, we can improve the mobility of the stiff leg, positively affect all receptors stored in the foot, which will have another positive effect on the absorption of acting forces during all activities, including walking or running. Another benefit of stimulating the foot with a ball is that we stimulate the L5 and S1 nerves, which in some mild cases can help with pain in the lower back area.

   

2. Sitting on tiptoe – a very good mobilization exercise, which will affect the maximum extension, extension of our fingers and the same complete stretching of the plantar fascia. The exercise also requires full dorsal flexion in the ankle joint, flexion in the knee and hip flexion. All these borderline ranges of motion are very painful for most people because they have lost the full range of motion in these joints.

   

3. Abduction, retraction or extension of the fingers – the ability to move our fingers apart is a very important, but in most cases lost skill. By pulling our toes apart, we activate the small muscles of the foot, which help promote the correct arch of the foot, leading to better absorption and production of force.

   

Try incorporating these exercises into your pre-workout warm-up or somewhere in your day. With hindsight, I dare say that you will feel a positive benefit on your overall body.