The foot as a foundation

Comfort and the body's first and most important shock absorber

We often say that the biggest enemy of the modern world is sugar... but in fact it is comfort. And the biggest addiction to comfort is practiced every day right under our feet. Our ancestors were endurance athletes for over 2 million years. They ran across the savannahs chasing their prey and walked thousands of miles without air cushions, gel soles or miraculous arch supports. They moved as nature intended – landing on the ball of the foot or the midfoot.

When you take a step, the first place where the ground’s reaction force meets your body is the foot. It’s a dynamic system that has to be able to be two opposites at once: a soft, flowing shock absorber that absorbs the impact, and a moment later a stiff and powerful lever that propels you forward.

Your foot is designed to work like a perfect biological spring. When you land naturally, your arch stretches, your calf muscle lengthens and your Achilles tendon absorbs the impact. It’s your body’s built-in, free and ingenious shock absorption system…

In today’s world, we’ve lost that dynamic. We have our feet “cast” into supportive, cushioned, and tight shoes.

To put it figuratively, in the 1970s, shoe manufacturers realized two things - you can’t patent the ground and you can’t sell people their bare feet. That’s how they created the sales pitch - called shock absorption and sold us the solution - cushioning.

But here’s the catch… heavy cushioning can make the foot do less work. If you constantly support the muscle, it weakens. The soft sole may dampen the sensation of impact, but the actual load still travels up the leg to the knees and back. As a result, the foot can become less active and slower to respond.

The sole of the foot is one of the most important sensory areas in the body. It has thousands of nerve endings that are supposed to send hundreds of signals per second: “The surface is slippery!” “The slope is to the right!” “Stabilize!” When this feedback is reduced, uncertainty builds in the brain, which can manifest as tension throughout the body. – especially in the knees, pelvis and even the jaw. An unstable sole is a threat to the nervous system, and a threat means a tense defensive posture for the body.

Keepers of the foundation – ligaments and the ankle

The ligaments and fascia (plantar fascia) on the bottom of the foot form a tight bowstring system - which keeps the arch supported. If these ligaments remain inactive due to low load - for example, in tight or stiff shoes - the arch can sink and overpronate.

There is a dense network of ligaments around the ankle that provide stability. If the ankle is unstable, the lower leg has to compensate for this "crooked tower"... and this is where the famous domino effect starts.

It's not just physics, it's neurobiology - your brain gets the wrong signal from the sole of your foot and sends a tension signal directly to your back in response. You may roll your back and stretch your neck if the sole of your foot The incoming information is vague, keeps the brain in tension in the back and midsection - because it feels that the ground is not firm and never allows the brain's back muscles to fully relax.

The big toe – the ignition switch for the glute and chief engineer of movement

When we talk about foot function, the most important character in this ensemble is the big toe. It is your body's primary stabilizer and has two strategic roles:

Stability (Same-side chain)
The moment your foot touches the ground and you press your big toe against the surface, a fascial chain is activated that extends through the outside of the lower leg directly into the glute on the same side. It is like an ignition switch – the big toe is the key that starts the gluteal motor. This keeps your pelvis stable and prevents you from "collapsing into yourself." If the big toe doesn't work, your glute is "lullabyed to sleep" and you sink slightly through the hip with every step.

Dynamics (Opposite-side diagonal)
Human movement is a brilliant play of diagonals. When you push off the ground using your big toe, this kinetic energy moves through the latissimus dorsi of the back to the opposite shoulder. It is an elastic X-shaped spring that makes walking almost free in terms of energy use – a natural and low-cost movement that saves your joints and gives your step lightness. If the big toe is passive, this spring remains uncocked. You no longer move on a spring but drag your body forward with raw muscle power.

Toe extensor overtime and the drama of the anterior lower leg

As a personal trainer, I often hear the complaint: "I started walking/running, but a terrible pain developed in the front of my shin." This is a classic biomechanical cry for help.

In order for the big toe to do its job, a mobile ankle is needed. If the ankle is stiff, a "movement traffic jam" occurs – if the big toe and glute do not cooperate, you lose the ability to push yourself off the ground. The body has to move forward somehow... If the glute doesn't push from behind, the body starts to winch the foot forward and hold it up using the toe extensors – these are the muscles on the shinbone.

These small muscles, designed for fine-tuning, not for propelling the entire body, then do a giant's work, trying to pull you forward – working overtime and trying to compensate for the missing push and the laziness of the glute. This is exactly that burning pain in the front of the shin that many feel after starting to walk after a long break. It is not a weakness of the calf muscle, but a sign that your posterior line is not working. It is inefficient, painful, and exhausting – it’s as if you are dragging yourself forward instead of rolling over the foot with lightness.

Upwards toward lightness – the kinetic chain

I often talk to my clients about the forklift effect... This effect starts from the sole, but its real power is realized in your core. When your foot is active and your toes can grip the ground, it feels as if there is "air" under the sole. But this air doesn't stay in the calves – this lightness moves up and locks your pelvis and spine into a unified, supported whole. Your deep muscles (transversus abdominis and back extensors) create internal pressure that maintains the length of the spine. This is the moment where you no longer carry your weight only with muscle power, but through a tensioned fascial chain.

If, however, the foundation "leaks" or your midsection is soft, this tower collapses. The arch sinks in, the shinbone rotates inward, and the pelvis tilts forward. This is the moment where you collapse into a "heap on yourself." Instead of carrying weight through the bones and lightness, you sink onto your ligaments and joints. The air under the sole disappears and is replaced by weight that presses on your knees and pelvis. This is the feeling when every step is heavy and the body screams with fatigue because your stomach and back do not provide the necessary counter-pressure for the foot.

All this talk about ligaments and the kinetic chain ultimately boils down to one thing – your freedom. The more organized and proactive your core is, the freer your movement. This is where biomechanics meets life wisdom: freedom in movement arises only when there is a certain order and support. If your back is active and abdominal muscles are organized, the foot no longer has to worry about "survival." It doesn't have to be the one trying to hold up the weight of the whole world alone.

We don't train legs just to get a checkmark in a table somewhere. We train so that we have a real opportunity to go where we want. Do you want to race with your child? Do you want to conquer mountain peaks or dance until morning without your legs giving out? This is the experience of life, and if your foundation is alive, your movement is free and authentic. Your feet are your connection to the ground – if this connection is strong, you are present in your life. This is not some distant spiritual concept, but pure joy of movement. The ability to trust our body in every situation is the greatest gift you can give yourself. It is the trump card that allows you to live at full throttle.

The body awaits your guidance – you are the boss of your body!

We cannot expect a massage or a new shoe to "fix" us.

Restoring the body begins with conscious responsibility. You have to learn to feel your feet again. When you are at home, throw your slippers into the corner and move barefoot. While watching TV, massage your toes and feet, both on top and under the sole. It is a simple thank you to your body for the freedom it offers you every day.

Gym training and ligament density are your allies here. Tissue adapts to the load presented to it – through controlled weights, we can make the ligaments and tendons of the foot thicker and more durable. This is your work and your choice – whether to let the foundation crumble or to consciously build it up again so that you can live a life without limits.

Our body is a whole – it is an unbroken chain from the ground to the top of the head... I

n the next post, we will look at what happens when this chain reaches the "central lock" of our body – the pelvis and the lower back. 

You are the boss of your body, not a tag-along. Make that choice today.

Until then and see you in the gym!


xxx
Jana



PS. This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. For health concerns, diagnosis, or treatment, always consult a qualified specialist or physician.