Don’t forget your feet.

As a kinesiologist focused on posture and movement, I spend much of my time studying the static and dynamic alignment of clients, and addressing weaknesses that might contribute to movement dysfunction.

Over the last 20 years I’ve witnessed great advances in the industry related to our handling of functional conditioning, core assessment and retraining, movement analysis and reprogramming, and so on. This has been facilitated by enhanced collaboration between practitioners from different fields, like physiotherapists, chiropractors and kinesiologists. I’m happy to be immersed in a multi-disciplinary environment, and have developed my professional approach with this influence.

“Any ground-based athletic conditioning or movement training activities will be compromised if the feet aren’t providing support.”

Still, one area that I feel has been neglected until very recently is foot and ankle function as it relates to human movement and performance. In the past, the feet have been a bit of an afterthought. I appreciate that there are many skilled podiatrists, pedorthists and biomechanists who are focused on foot mechanics, and a huge industry dedicated to footwear and orthotics. My point is that we could use more collaboration across disciplines to move us from what I would consider ‘remedial’ foot function to high-performance foot and ankle conditioning.

If we compare the foot and ankle to the lumbo-pelvic region of the body, it’s not enough to simply identify imbalances or misalignments and then brace or support the structures in the desired alignment. It’s also insufficient to apply a few random rehab or strengthening exercises to the area and hope we avoid injury or perform optimally.

Like the lower back and pelvis, the feet and ankles need to be deliberately and comprehensively conditioned to achieve optimal performance. This should happen progressively, and only be initiated with the feet and ankles in good structural alignment. Training the feet when the bones and joints are misaligned, or performing bodyweight exercises on the feet when they’re not strong enough to support the load, will simply reinforce faulty mechanics.

When I encounter de-conditioned feet and ankles that won’t support an individual’s bodyweight, I often see a correlation with faulty global alignment, reduced performance and diminished physical health. In addition to any supportive product or footwear solutions needed (temporary or permanent), I try to choose training tools and methods that allow for controlled movement and careful application of progressive loads. One example is the Ankle Foot Maximizer, or AFX, which I use regularly to develop foundational foot and ankle strength in clients at all performance levels.

Going forward, I hope to see continued emphasis on this important part of the human body, and further collaboration between knowledgeable practitioners to develop more effective foot and ankle assessment and conditioning protocols.

Rob Williams, B.Sc.Kin, MES
President - Williams Health Group