What’s stable yet mobile and loves to twist?

Need a hint?

You have two, and each one has 26 bones, 33 joints, 56 ligaments, 20-plus muscles, and 7,000 nerve endings—yes, SEVEN-THOUSAND!

Give up?

It’s your feet!

Your feet play a vital role in your body’s overall function and probably aren’t getting the time and attention they deserve.

All those bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and nerve endings give your feet an incredible ability to move dynamically.

Your feet are also information centers letting your body know about the surface you’re standing or moving on—like a slick floor, a rock that comes out of nowhere, or a thick carpet that catches your foot.

In an ideal foot-world, your feet would naturally twist, winding and unwinding with every step you take.

In the real world, modern footwear prevents this dynamic twisting movement from happening. This turns the feet into numbed-out flippers instead of the intricate, sensing, movement-centers that they are.

The exercise in today's video builds on the Strap Stretch from my last post and adds this foot-twisting movement.

It can be a little tricky to get the hang of at first, but it’s so rewarding once you do that you’ll want to do it all the time!

You might be surprised by the positive effects on the rest of your body when you spend a little time on this seemingly small area.

I’d love to hear how it goes and if you can move your foot without moving your ankle. Let me know in the comments below.

With twisted feet,
Sydney

P.S. If you’re having trouble getting your foot to move for this exercise, learn all about the natural spiraling motion of your feet in this post from 2014. It's the perfect pre-cursor to help you sense your foot spiral and move your feet!