Dooley Noted: 1/16/2014
Wearing my gloves, I attempted to button up my coat. I struggled.
Then, I attempted to untangle my headphones. I struggled.
Then, I tried to find something in my bag. I struggled.
The hands and feet have structural similarities so congruent that most of the structural names are the same.
We are rooted to the ground by the feet. So if the feet can’t feel the ground, they affect everything up the kinetic chain.
Wearing a shoe with a thick, foamy sole might be comfortable. So is a couch. But sitting on a couch doesn’t make you more stable. It makes you cushy and floppy. That is – until your back starts bothering you when you sit on the couch.
When attempting to build stability and strength, the feet need to feel the ground.
Train without your shoes, even if it’s until the gym owner yells at you. Then, try minimalist footwear to feel the ground more.
Your feet have 28 bones. If they were meant to be a brick that didn’t need to feel and move, you’d have only a few bones in the foot.
I struggled to perform motor functions in gloves because my hands couldn’t feel. If you are padding your shoes, your feet can’t feel, either.
Get the heavy padding off your feet.
Is it uncomfortable at first to wear thinner soles? Yes. We are trying to get strong and stable – not floppy like a couch cushion.
However, you will start to feel stronger and more stable. You will feel the ground more. Your entire body will understand more about where it exists in space.
But as always, it’s your call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley