High Heel Danger!
This one is for the ladies!
Do you wear high heels all day?
Sore feet?
Let me tell you why!
The normal position for our foot is a balanced position.
Try this right now. Take your shoes off and stand in your bare feet or socks.
Probably feels comfortable and normal.
Now elevate your heels and stand on your toes.
Can you feel your calf and quad start to engage and tighten?
Now imagine walking around and sitting like that for 8 hours?
Some damage is bound to happen.
Our body gets better at doing whatever we make it do. If we run a lot our body will adapt and get better at running. If we do a lot of squats our body will get better at squats.
If we keep our foot in a high heel shoe our body will get used to that position. Unfortunately it is not a good position to be in. Our quads and calves will tighten and elongate the opposing muscles. This can throw off our alignment and now our ankles, knees, hips and even spine are at an increased risk of injury.
We can all understand that heels are stylish and complete an outfit, and may even be required to wear in our professions but take care of yourself. Wear heels to and from work, and switch to flats for the majority of the day or for sitting at your desk. Your legs and feet will thank you!
Helpful Hints for those who have to wear heels:
Foam roll calves and quads
Stretch hips and calves
Use lacrosse ball on the bottom of your foot
– Kelli