Just returned from a great week away in Cornwall. It was fantastic to go away, but due to the mixed weather, its England after all travelled loads to see everything.
Had four lovely sessions on different beaches on three different coastlines and it is unbelievable how well everyone walks on sand by the sea.
It’s my rehab brain cannot help noticing even on holiday.
But, here’s the thing, walking by the sea, barefoot, water just running over your feet, everyone walks better!
Why?
Well as you have no shoes on your, feet work more as they should, with much less support. As people push with one foot, it digs into the sand and supports the whole base of the foot. Due to the ground moving you have to lift your other leg slightly higher, this forces more of a heel strike which the sand absorbs and cushions. As you move forward you lift your trail leg slightly higher as the ground gave way again promoting a heel strike on landing and you repeat the cycle.
Now, while I was walking along the beach I bet no one noticed this as they were focused on the environment, it was spectacular, Fistral beach was rocking! However when they moved up the beach to the harder packed wet sand people altered how they walked again with a shorter stride and more on their ball of foot. This is done to reduce the force on the foot with a shorter stride and the ball of the foot acting as a shock absorber.
Then as they ready themselves to leave the beach, its flip flops and walking changes again.
Flip flops change how you walk significantly as you have to use the muscles of your feet to hold them on and you walk in sliding motion from your hips more and land on your mid foot or toes. This movement of the foot is a killer if you have plantar fasciitis as it aggravates the fascia significantly as the muscles cannot support the foot properly.
Now you should only wear flip flops for short distances or standing. There are some excellent flipflops on the market with outstanding cushioning, which is great for standing! However the mechanics of foot movement don’t change with the cost or quality of the flip flop.!
So if you have plantar fasciitis even if it’s just starting, flip flops will aggravate. I recommend as much as possible bare feet which is great in this current weather and if on holiday by the sea enjoy the environment.
So Flip Flop rant over.
I wish everywhere we walked was sand with some water lapping up and there would be very few plantar fasciitis and foot issues.
The important thing is we adapt how we move for the situation and our feet have to adapt also usually with the limitation of footwear.
I have caught up with patients and have had two mammoth days of treatment, I wanted to highlight two important things.
Firstly there are 5 spaces left on my intense plantar fasciitis recovery programme in August. With a focus on fast plantar fasciitis recovery, the results from July I am finalising and will be sharing they are almost too good. To find out more about plantar fasciitis recovery will you book a Free Conversation HERE.
Secondly if you are on holiday and juggling looking after children or grandchildren and cannot commit to an intense programme , you can find out about my at home Plantar Fasciitis Rehabilitation Programme HERE.
