So I keep coming back: 1. Toe splay 2. Single leg balancing (two variations) explained at 4:00 3. Impact force at 5:48 - use a towel in between the ankles and jump/skip 4. Build a sturdy pose - exercise barefoot gradually or use footless shoes 5. Do this exercise at 8:29 single leg supinated heel raise for building a sturdy pose
Your videos have been very helpful. None of my various therapists or doctors have made the connection between my lower back pain with calf cramps and my flabby arches. Some of your methods are a little scary for a 70-year-old with metatarsalgia but I’ll work my way up to them. Thanks!
Wow. Fantastic information. I have had plantar fasciitis for 16 years and have been babying my foot by wearing cork soled slippers inside the house all the time. 4 months of yoga 6 times a week has been reversing the pain and I wasn’t even expecting that to happen. I noticed that I was the only one in class not being able to do any, and I mean any balance postures. The last 3 weeks, I have been going barefoot at home and guess what, my balance is getting better. Not great yet. But standing on one leg and doing 4-5 balance postures have been getting gradually better. My plantar pain is about 95 % percent better. Thank you 100s of downward dogs and 3-legged dogs. Ankle sits. Tree pose etc. Exercise is the greatest gift to health and well being
Try tibialis raises and keep at them. I went from no longer being able to function because of pain to no longer having pain and walking as much as I want. They are the real workout for the unsung shock absorbing hero muscles of the legs.
a few years ago I started training with an instructor who insisted that his class do strength training barefoot and showed up how to splay the toes and properly supinate the foot. This has been incredible for my feet, it makes my posture a lot better and the foot and ankle are much stronger than it used to be
Excellent presentation of the importance of foot structure, strength and giving us great movements to undo the damage done by shoes. A true gift you are to us. Knowledge is always the best gift. Thank you for all your research, studies and understanding to explain this amazing finding to us.
It really helps to love this stuff. After more than a decade in exercise science, I couldn’t think of doing anything else. Thanks for your feedback and viewership 🙏 Makes it even more worth it ☺️
You are a blessing. Not one single doctor has been able to explain it the way you have. Never realised the connection between arches and balance and back ache. Thank you so much! ❤
I teach yoga and work with clients developing stretching programs. I have been saying for quite some time that the feet are like the foundation of a house. If the foundation is cracked, misaligned or weak, the structure above begins to weaken and deteriorate. Love that I found your channel and feel a bit of validation outside of the yoga world that foot strength, movement and stability is important to the bodies wellness. Thank you! I have just order the book you mentioned as well!
I enjoyed the very efficient instructional technique. The pictures and arrows helped to reinforce what was spoken. I am a retired biological science educator. One teaching fundamental Iearned early on was to keep a single topic lecture to 10 minutes or less. You nailed it!
Great stuff, thank you! I ama Massage Therapist and have many patients with foot and ankle concerns, and I'm also a runner and hiker with my own set of lower extremity issues and injuries. So I'm always on the lookout for solid info and techniques to add to my practice and my own training. Subscribed!
That first exercise tripped me out because you do this naturally as a child. I have always done that exercise as a child and well into my adulthood. It's good to know that its actually useful. I always had it in my mind that i never wanted to stop doing it because its something I've done as a baby.
My god. Thank you. TH-cam videos are way more useful than going to see a doctor, nowadays, and that's just sad. I have issues with one foot, after an ankle sprain. It's like my foot is flattening and the ankle doesn't really move like before and doesn't seem solid anymore. Some of my toes are bent since many years. I think it's worsening the state of my foot. Your first exercise got me crying while trying to separate my toes, which seem stuck. It gave me chills all over my foot and along my leg. I'll keep doing this often, and I'll use toe spacers. Maybe it'll help.
Thanks for all your great advice. I really enjoy watching your videos, they provide a lot of knowledge and are very helpful on a daily basis in choosing food when shopping, etc. Thank you ❤✨
… as a German Biologist It is amazing what powerful excellent advice we can get today For Free! This must be taught in Kinder Garden to any kid To condition the sense of what Life is all about. I am stunned when I see older Men Purposefully Walking Bare Foot all time every where… Thank YOU! Best wishes from Germany
Excellent, informative video. The explanations helped me understand why to do those certain exercises. I didn’t understand how to perform last exercise😳
Thanks, excellent combination of why and what to do to improve. And the link between our feet and those mega leg muscle groups made me appreciate weight lifting barefoot even more.
Super helpful! Why is the 3rd excercise (jumping with towel between feet) better than a single-leg version? The video is clear that most of the time we’re on one leg, so wouldn’t it be more beneficial to do a practice exercise to that more closely mimics the forces from walking/running?
I've spent months figuring out my issues with Squats.. Hips, knees, ankles.... Finally, it really seems like the final key is the feet. Incredible how much focusing on foot function has made an almost immediate change. Buy your barefoot shoes folks, life changing!
Wearing five toes (five fingers) socks helps a lot and is a must in my opinion. After three years of only wearing 5-toes socks, I hate the way ordinary socks feel and don’t buy them anymore.
@@daneo617 yes they are annoying especially after a wash and wearing for the first time, but it's absolutely worth it. An extra 10 seconds putting on socks is nothing compared to the comfort and stability provided especially when you pop on a toe spacer
@@barefootstrength no never going back... i got shoes for every occassion. Love them and my health is so much better. Followrd your advice. Plantar Fascitis gone.. Happy Christmas
Hello!! Thank u for the video!! I have a doubt to ask. Often the podiatrists advice to never walk barefoot and you recommend it..I'm little confused as to do the barefoot exercises you recommend or just to wear the arch support always.
I still have one foot that's flatter, even when I wear toe socks (and even Vibrams which I switched to about 11 years ago), it can lead to ankle pain. I had a physiotherapist recommend an exercise done with one foot. I can't remember what it was called, but I'd stand on one foot, and point to different areas with my other foot, like a clock. I had forgotten about doing that, and I should really do it again, as my balance on that leg isn't great. Hypermobility has made it harder to know what to do since I'm naturally unstable, but this gives me more of an idea of where to start. I've switched almost all my shoes over to wide toe box and zero drop shoes (still need a replacement for rain boots, which I'm looking at jikatabi since they're commonly used by gardeners in Japan, and gardening is really hard on my ankles), but with my genetic condition, I don't just get stronger from it like some others can, so I have to really put in the work.
In 2020, I destroyed my left foot the heal snapped and literally separated from the rest of the bone the entire right inside exploded into pieces and 3 of my toes were separate/broke as well this all happened from a 5-6 ' jump off a roof. ( normal for me ) Because the pandemic was in full swing I was all set with going to the hospital for badly needed surgery, so I bought a air cast let it heal as good as possible and just started slowing using it again and though I'm sure it's not fine, it almost feels like it never happened except sometimes if I cross my feet while lying down it will start to feel funny slight pain & numbness but besides that it basically put itself back together and with minor self PT I'm able to wiggle 4 outta 5 toes. Since it seems okay to me, is surgery something I should still considering. I've heard of people not taking care of foot injuries only to bite them in the a$$ later in life.
I have PTTD in my right foot Regarding toe separators, how long can I keep them in without overdoing it? And he many times a day should I be doing that?
People who say feet are gross obviously don’t take care of their own and think everyone else’s are bad as theirs Guys like this have nice feet coz they take care of them, usually the case with swimmers, surfers, lifeguards etc who are barefoot a lot
Great information! I have high arches and had planters fasciitis for about a year after wearing flats more often rather than heals which I usually wore. I thought barefoot was bad so as to not support your arch. I will definitely try some of these to strengthen my feet as my one arch still gets tight on occasion.
Most gym experts or physiotherapists don't talk about a foot with a healing wound, is it advisable to allow the wound to heal first but by then, a wrong curvature could happen or even contracture or what do you think?
What if you have ruptured the plantar fascia on both the inner and outer areas of your foot. I've lost my Arch because of two ruptures underneath the arch side and I've also damaged the outer plantar fascia along the 5th metatarsal step. Can these exercises help strengthen and improve the stability of my foot
Every time i have ever ran in conventional shoes, i have felt pain in my toes, ankles and my knees. Hopefully my new vivos and these exercises will help
I remember when I used to wear tight shoes my toe get beneath my second finger of foot and sometime it get beneath my foot second finger by its own and it hurt a lot and I got flat feet after that
It seems like 15 years of yoga has done amazing things for my feet without me really doing anything intentionally. I see yoga poses in all of these exercises, even splaying, as we “ground down into the four corners of the feet.”
Here here I got a question here. Well I have flat feet and once had pain in my heels. I went to an orthopedist who prescribed shoe inserts and physical therapy. A physiotherapist looked at it and said that the muscles had completely collapsed. She said that with training it was possible to rebuild the muscles, but it is absolutely utopian to restore them to 100%. So is that true? Is it really impossible to completely restore the Foot muscles?
I think if you keep wearing conventional shoes you aren't likely to get back to 100% due to the amount of time spent in shoes undoing any benefits of exercises. But if you shift to barefoot shoes and do specific foot exercises, I think you can get better than you ever were
I have congenital high arch and the last 3 toes do not make contact with the ground as they are permanently raised and the ball of my foot is quite large, (as a result?) ... I have recently started using a raised heel support to encourage those toes to touch the ground and stop my heel being lower than the ball of foot in my footwear.. Can you suggest anything?
I once watch on national Geographic, a documentary on how hunting animals walk when they hunt prey, and they would be on their tippy toes, and for some reason, 9 year old me thought that was so cool so I emulated it and it became a habit to me growing up, and it just became normal for me now to walk on my tippy toes and I would sometimes scare some friends and relatives because I walk so quietly. also it did help with my foot and leg muscles, I never trip when I fall
Glad you like it. You can manually spread your toes with your hand, then try to hold them in that splayed position. This will help activate the muscles. With practice, you'll eventually be able to do it without assistance.
Our New Barefoot Shoe Finder: bfs.fit/find-my-shoes
So I keep coming back:
1. Toe splay
2. Single leg balancing (two variations) explained at 4:00
3. Impact force at 5:48 - use a towel in between the ankles and jump/skip
4. Build a sturdy pose - exercise barefoot gradually or use footless shoes
5. Do this exercise at 8:29 single leg supinated heel raise for building a sturdy pose
Your videos have been very helpful. None of my various therapists or doctors have made the connection between my lower back pain with calf cramps and my flabby arches. Some of your methods are a little scary for a 70-year-old with metatarsalgia but I’ll work my way up to them. Thanks!
Please, check out Qi-Gong and be amazed!
Love from Denmark.
how did it go? hope you are well
@@mariodelrio6865 I confess-I made some progress initially but as the pain decreased I forgot. . .typical. Thanks for the reminder to get back on it!
Wow. Fantastic information. I have had plantar fasciitis for 16 years and have been babying my foot by wearing cork soled slippers inside the house all the time. 4 months of yoga 6 times a week has been reversing the pain and I wasn’t even expecting that to happen. I noticed that I was the only one in class not being able to do any, and I mean any balance postures. The last 3 weeks, I have been going barefoot at home and guess what, my balance is getting better. Not great yet. But standing on one leg and doing 4-5 balance postures have been getting gradually better. My plantar pain is about 95 % percent better. Thank you 100s of downward dogs and 3-legged dogs. Ankle sits. Tree pose etc. Exercise is the greatest gift to health and well being
Try tibialis raises and keep at them. I went from no longer being able to function because of pain to no longer having pain and walking as much as I want. They are the real workout for the unsung shock absorbing hero muscles of the legs.
a few years ago I started training with an instructor who insisted that his class do strength training barefoot and showed up how to splay the toes and properly supinate the foot. This has been incredible for my feet, it makes my posture a lot better and the foot and ankle are much stronger than it used to be
Excellent presentation of the importance of foot structure, strength and giving us great movements to undo the damage done by shoes. A true gift you are to us. Knowledge is always the best gift. Thank you for all your research, studies and understanding to explain this amazing finding to us.
It really helps to love this stuff. After more than a decade in exercise science, I couldn’t think of doing anything else. Thanks for your feedback and viewership 🙏 Makes it even more worth it ☺️
You are a blessing. Not one single doctor has been able to explain it the way you have. Never realised the connection between arches and balance and back ache. Thank you so much! ❤
I teach yoga and work with clients developing stretching programs. I have been saying for quite some time that the feet are like the foundation of a house. If the foundation is cracked, misaligned or weak, the structure above begins to weaken and deteriorate. Love that I found your channel and feel a bit of validation outside of the yoga world that foot strength, movement and stability is important to the bodies wellness. Thank you! I have just order the book you mentioned as well!
I enjoyed the very efficient instructional technique. The pictures and arrows helped to reinforce what was spoken. I am a retired biological science educator. One teaching fundamental Iearned early on was to keep a single topic lecture to 10 minutes or less. You nailed it!
Excellent video. Thank you for making such gems. This is literally the basis of all movements.
This channel is literally gold!
Figuratively not literally
Just listening to you makes me homesick for South Africa. Well done, bro.
This was a super helpful video! Explaining the why, not just the how, was fantastic, thank you!
You learn something new everyday cause I did. Love this
Thanks!
Thank you so much for your support! Really appreciate it 🙏
Great stuff, thank you! I ama Massage Therapist and have many patients with foot and ankle concerns, and I'm also a runner and hiker with my own set of lower extremity issues and injuries. So I'm always on the lookout for solid info and techniques to add to my practice and my own training. Subscribed!
Quality content! Will watch again
That first exercise tripped me out because you do this naturally as a child. I have always done that exercise as a child and well into my adulthood. It's good to know that its actually useful. I always had it in my mind that i never wanted to stop doing it because its something I've done as a baby.
My god. Thank you. TH-cam videos are way more useful than going to see a doctor, nowadays, and that's just sad.
I have issues with one foot, after an ankle sprain. It's like my foot is flattening and the ankle doesn't really move like before and doesn't seem solid anymore. Some of my toes are bent since many years. I think it's worsening the state of my foot.
Your first exercise got me crying while trying to separate my toes, which seem stuck. It gave me chills all over my foot and along my leg.
I'll keep doing this often, and I'll use toe spacers. Maybe it'll help.
Seriously. My podiatrist didn't mention anything about how I could improve my flat foot. Didn't even suggest that it's possible.
Thanks for all your great advice. I really enjoy watching your videos, they provide a lot of knowledge and are very helpful on a daily basis in choosing food when shopping, etc. Thank you ❤✨
… as a German Biologist
It is amazing
what powerful
excellent advice
we can get today
For Free!
This must be taught in Kinder Garden
to any kid
To condition the sense
of what Life is all about.
I am stunned when I see older Men
Purposefully
Walking Bare Foot all time
every where…
Thank YOU!
Best wishes from Germany
Excellent, informative video. The explanations helped me understand why to do those certain exercises. I didn’t understand how to perform last exercise😳
Thank you so much! Just what I need.
very valuable information. thank you for taking the time to explain and illustrate.
Very good. The advice given has got rid of my pain. Thank you.
Thanks, excellent combination of why and what to do to improve. And the link between our feet and those mega leg muscle groups made me appreciate weight lifting barefoot even more.
Within 3 minutes of watching this video I’ve become a subscriber! Excellent and well presented info in less than 10 minutes!! Thank you!
Thank you very much! Unfortunately, I started learning this after my knee injury. But, as they say, better late, than never😊
Super Informationen, die mir völlig neu waren. Ich danke Dir!
So happy to hear that! Thanks for your feedback 🙏
Excellent and wonderful exercises to enhance the foot strength
Thank you so much. It makes sense. I will practice these exercises, and in time, I'm sure my flat feet will disappear.
Great content.
I love this video, it's very insightful. Thank you, thank you and thank you again!!!
Super helpful! Why is the 3rd excercise (jumping with towel between feet) better than a single-leg version? The video is clear that most of the time we’re on one leg, so wouldn’t it be more beneficial to do a practice exercise to that more closely mimics the forces from walking/running?
Loved this video, very informative, thanks!
Wow, 8:42 is a great tip for either jumpers as swimmers!
Very thoroughly explored and informative 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
Glad it was helpful!
Bingo ❤❤ thank you so much ! Enlightened and empowered
I've spent months figuring out my issues with Squats..
Hips, knees, ankles.... Finally, it really seems like the final key is the feet. Incredible how much focusing on foot function has made an almost immediate change. Buy your barefoot shoes folks, life changing!
Excellent information, thank you ❤
¡Gracias!
Thank you for your support 🙏
I can't wait to try these things! Im guessing start out slowly just like with any new excercise😊
Many thanks with gratitude !
Earthing/Grounding has amazing benefits for our feets, as well our body and mind. Love to All.
Been trying to learn to spread my toes for over 6 months now. Only just now seeing a tiny bit of improvement. It's definitely a long game.
Thanks. Chris.
You are genius. ❤
Thank you for this well thought out, thorough, and clear informative video. I learned a lot of needed details and plan to add in these exercises!
Wearing five toes (five fingers) socks helps a lot and is a must in my opinion.
After three years of only wearing 5-toes socks, I hate the way ordinary socks feel and don’t buy them anymore.
Serious question ❓ Are they a pain to get on each time.
@@daneo617 yes they are annoying especially after a wash and wearing for the first time, but it's absolutely worth it. An extra 10 seconds putting on socks is nothing compared to the comfort and stability provided especially when you pop on a toe spacer
@@YunisRajab thanks I'll have to try a pair. 👍🏼
@@daneo617
After few months, nope.
I can put the sock on while standing on one leg, no problem.
Been wearing Vivo and Xero shoes for 20 months. Transformed evetything 👍🎅❤
Thats so awesome to hear! Could you ever wear traditional shoes again?
@@barefootstrength no never going back... i got shoes for every occassion. Love them and my health is so much better.
Followrd your advice. Plantar Fascitis gone..
Happy Christmas
Great information 😊 Thanks so much for the great advice 🫶
Excellent work and good information.
Amazing video, thank you. I have one question, How to know if my foot is normal, has pronation or supination?
Thank you is very helpful!!!❤
Great video!
LOVE!!! Great content.
Brilliant video.
Thank you for your comment and feedback 🙏🙏
ottima spiegazione grazie
Excellent information Thanks
Excellent explanation and thanks for the exercises!
Glad it was helpful! Here is a video on ankle mobility: th-cam.com/video/tdvCzvQiF9Y/w-d-xo.htmlsi=siV6KAI8xLFtt3UN
Doing those foot exercises, will fix the over pronation problem completely?
Love this makes so much sense😊
Excellent- thanks
genious, how he could put 10 minutes video out of those simple exercises....
Love this thank you
Hello!! Thank u for the video!! I have a doubt to ask. Often the podiatrists advice to never walk barefoot and you recommend it..I'm little confused as to do the barefoot exercises you recommend or just to wear the arch support always.
I still have one foot that's flatter, even when I wear toe socks (and even Vibrams which I switched to about 11 years ago), it can lead to ankle pain. I had a physiotherapist recommend an exercise done with one foot. I can't remember what it was called, but I'd stand on one foot, and point to different areas with my other foot, like a clock. I had forgotten about doing that, and I should really do it again, as my balance on that leg isn't great. Hypermobility has made it harder to know what to do since I'm naturally unstable, but this gives me more of an idea of where to start.
I've switched almost all my shoes over to wide toe box and zero drop shoes (still need a replacement for rain boots, which I'm looking at jikatabi since they're commonly used by gardeners in Japan, and gardening is really hard on my ankles), but with my genetic condition, I don't just get stronger from it like some others can, so I have to really put in the work.
Thank you for this video ❤
Fantastic! Thanks!!!
I think so great knowledge of the ankle problem after stroke or falij or brain hamrij 😮
Well explained, never knew how much the foot play in flexibility, mobility and strength 👏 👌 👍
Very good content. Thank you
Very informative
Sir thank you so much for this video
Sir
Can you pl make a video on Achalis tendinitis heel pain
Thank you
In 2020, I destroyed my left foot the heal snapped and literally separated from the rest of the bone the entire right inside exploded into pieces and 3 of my toes were separate/broke as well this all happened from a 5-6 ' jump off a roof. ( normal for me )
Because the pandemic was in full swing I was all set with going to the hospital for badly needed surgery, so I bought a air cast let it heal as good as possible and just started slowing using it again and though I'm sure it's not fine, it almost feels like it never happened except sometimes if I cross my feet while lying down it will start to feel funny slight pain & numbness but besides that it basically put itself back together and with minor self PT I'm able to wiggle 4 outta 5 toes. Since it seems okay to me, is surgery something I should still considering.
I've heard of people not taking care of foot injuries only to bite them in the a$$ later in life.
Sounds like your self-treatment was more successful than many foot and back surgeries 👏🏾
I have PTTD in my right foot
Regarding toe separators, how long can I keep them in without overdoing it?
And he many times a day should I be doing that?
Can we use toe spacers during running?
Use chewing tabacxo dip as spacers between your toes. If you give it a try Its worth it
People who say feet are gross obviously don’t take care of their own and think everyone else’s are bad as theirs
Guys like this have nice feet coz they take care of them, usually the case with swimmers, surfers, lifeguards etc who are barefoot a lot
Great information! I have high arches and had planters fasciitis for about a year after wearing flats more often rather than heals which I usually wore. I thought barefoot was bad so as to not support your arch. I will definitely try some of these to strengthen my feet as my one arch still gets tight on occasion.
I just found out about this channel and I love it! Thank you!
Most gym experts or physiotherapists don't talk about a foot with a healing wound, is it advisable to allow the wound to heal first but by then, a wrong curvature could happen or even contracture or what do you think?
Por favor, activa la traducción al español, gracias!!!
What if you have ruptured the plantar fascia on both the inner and outer areas of your foot. I've lost my Arch because of two ruptures underneath the arch side and I've also damaged the outer plantar fascia along the 5th metatarsal step. Can these exercises help strengthen and improve the stability of my foot
God bless u man 🙏🏿
Every time i have ever ran in conventional shoes, i have felt pain in my toes, ankles and my knees. Hopefully my new vivos and these exercises will help
Due to polio my left leg calf muscle did not develop. I am now 65. What is your advice?
Where did you get that unique treadmill for barefoot
Never thougt i supunate i always thought it was overpronation thanks so much
Here is a video which is specific to overpronation. May shed some more light on the issue. th-cam.com/video/Hv11eo4DslI/w-d-xo.html
How can I measure the arch of my feet to assess whether it’s improving as a result of the exercises you mention?
I remember when I used to wear tight shoes my toe get beneath my second finger of foot and sometime it get beneath my foot second finger by its own and it hurt a lot and I got flat feet after that
It seems like 15 years of yoga has done amazing things for my feet without me really doing anything intentionally. I see yoga poses in all of these exercises, even splaying, as we “ground down into the four corners of the feet.”
I’m glad that some disciplines inherently train barefoot. I hope more will follow suite, once this information becomes more mainstream.
Here here I got a question here. Well I have flat feet and once had pain in my heels. I went to an orthopedist who prescribed shoe inserts and physical therapy. A physiotherapist looked at it and said that the muscles had completely collapsed. She said that with training it was possible to rebuild the muscles, but it is absolutely utopian to restore them to 100%. So is that true? Is it really impossible to completely restore the Foot muscles?
I think if you keep wearing conventional shoes you aren't likely to get back to 100% due to the amount of time spent in shoes undoing any benefits of exercises. But if you shift to barefoot shoes and do specific foot exercises, I think you can get better than you ever were
I have congenital high arch and the last 3 toes do not make contact with the ground as they are permanently raised and the ball of my foot is quite large, (as a result?) ...
I have recently started using a raised heel support to encourage those toes to touch the ground and stop my heel being lower than the ball of foot in my footwear.. Can you suggest anything?
Supernation in my right feet is more than left feet. While doing supernation heel raise in left feet feels very awkward.. what should I do??
Perfect 😃 thanks for sharing! Absolutely helpful 🙂
What for seniors with arthritis who cannot jump
I once watch on national Geographic, a documentary on how hunting animals walk when they hunt prey, and they would be on their tippy toes, and for some reason, 9 year old me thought that was so cool so I emulated it and it became a habit to me growing up, and it just became normal for me now to walk on my tippy toes and I would sometimes scare some friends and relatives because I walk so quietly. also it did help with my foot and leg muscles, I never trip when I fall
Amazing video thanks, i have just started running. when i do the foot splay only my 4 small toes move out not my big toe! how do i fix that ?
Glad you like it. You can manually spread your toes with your hand, then try to hold them in that splayed position. This will help activate the muscles. With practice, you'll eventually be able to do it without assistance.
Nice.
Does this help drop foot
Oh being one of the first comments feels so weird!
Thanks for the video!
Thank you for your comment and viewership 😊 Glad you liked the vid!
How do you move from ultra supportive shoes to minimalist without issues?
7:20 These are not pronation and supination. They are eversion and inversion.