Mind your feet-A few minutes a day, could keep certain aches away.

In Pilates, footwork is part of the foundation. But the prospect of working our feet in a mat class may not always seem appealing since we're so used to moving the whole body rather than focusing on small movements that are mainly targeting our feet and ankles. I get it..This is why I often place an emphasis on the feet and ankles within other moves to keep the class flowing and to keep the workout aspect going as much as possible. But did you know that in Joseph Pilate's big equipment repertoire he always starts off with a footwork series? For those of you that have worked with me on the Wunda Chair, you know this 'ain't' a walk in the park! :) It is about the WHOLE BODY working. Why do we need to take care of our feet? The simple answer to this is that they carry us. They carry our body weight around our whole life (if we're lucky), whether we're walking, hiking, running, playing tennis or football. In our feet we have 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 muscles and ligaments. That's quite something, don't you think? Did you know that an imbalance in the ankle or foot can lead to a problem, not just in the knee and hip but as far up as the neck? Have a look at the link below and learn from one aspect of how it is all connected.

This is the other reason why we need to make sure our feet and ankles get all the mobility and strength they need to avoid imbalances and stay healthy. Challenging our feet with mobility and strength is the best thing we can do to supply them with optimal function and longevity.

There are SO many exercises we can do to keep our feet and ankles in tip top condition, one of which I'm showing you in a video in the video below.

You can even perform this exercise while you're watching your favourite series on Netflix. How top is that! All you need is a hand towel and a place to sit where you can keep yourself in an upright position. Have a go and do let me know how you get on!