By Paul Chek, HHP, NMT
Founder, C.H.E.K. Institute

A good-looking pair of feet not only enhances one's physical beauty, they are often an indication of good function, much like good posture.

The inverse, of course, is unattractive feet. Poorly functioning feet are not only unpleasant to look at, they often smell and frequently hurt. More importantly, they're frequently associated with such problems as knee, hip, back and neck pain. Even headaches can come from feet that don't function well.

Foot trouble is nothing new. A course manual written back in 1932 by world famous foot specialist Dr. William Mathias Scholl found seven out of every 10 people had painful feet, citing shoes as a major source of the problem. A brief review of medical statistics from any branch of the military, in virtually any country indicates that for as long as soldiers have been lacing their boots, they have had foot troubles.

With so many people suffering from problems with their feet, you might wonder whether the foot was one of evolution's few architectural booboos. I don't think so.

The foot is a complex, beautifully designed shock-absorbing system. Any traveler to a third-world country will tell you that bare feet are completely normal. Items such as foot pads, powders and insoles for sale at the chemists are as rare as a Moa and the word "orthotic" is as foreign as microwave oven!

The problem arises when this carefully crafted foot is strapped into a shoe! Shoes crowd the toes, disrupting joint function and alignment. This commonly results in overlapping toes and bunions. Shoes are seldom wide enough to allow the necessary freedom of movement to the tarsal bones and metatarsal bones to allow the foot to function as both a shock absorber and platform from which the legs generate the force needed to walk, run and jump.

When shoes are narrow or laced too tightly the metatarsal bones are jammed together, often pinching the nerves that run between the bones. The result is frequently a neuroma, which is painful to say the least.

How To Make Your Feet Happy!

The best thing you can do for your feet is to wear shoes as little as you can. Whenever you can wear sandals or get your toes in the dirt, don't pass it up!

The little bones of your feet love the chance to move, which helps keep the joints properly lubricated. When you use your feet to run and play, your toes grasp the grass and move independently through the sand, keeping the small intrinsic muscles strong. This prevents hammertoe, a condition resulting from imbalance in the foot muscles and being boxed into tight shoes.

Whenever you are sitting down, at the dinner table for example, practice spreading your toes as wide as you can and holding them open for five seconds at a time. This will keep the toes from overlapping each other due to intrinsic muscle weakness.

Place a bowl of marbles by the toilet. Each time you sit on the toilet, dump the marbles on the floor and fill the bowl one time with each foot. You may be shocked to find that your feet are so stiff and uncoordinated from wearing shoes that you can hardly pick up a single marble.

Believe me, your feet were smart as a child. You need only go to Fiji and see grown women weaving baskets with their feet and hands at the same time to realize picking up marbles is "child's play" in comparison to what the foot can really do. In fact, there are people that have painted masterpieces and written books with just their feet!

If you have to wear shoes or sandals, make sure they fit properly, allowing adequate space for your feet to move. When you lace your shoes, never pull the laces tight over the top of your foot, only keep the top laces snug. If you over-tighten your laces, you immobilize the foot and joints, making for a lazy and stupid foot. At the C.H.E.K Institute, we have had excellent results by putting our patients into Birkenstock shoes and sandals. They are among the few shoes in the world designed to allow the foot to move naturally and our patients love them. In fact, we are currently testing them for weight lifting.

In summary, minimize use of shoes to only when you must wear them. Don't lace them too tightly and buy shoes that have room for your feet to move. Spread your toes repeatedly every night at dinner and keep marbles by the toilet so you can keep your feet smart and beautiful.

Finally, don't wait till your feet are ugly, painful and expensive to do something that can improve beauty, function and leave you with more energy at the end of the day!

To enhance your health and win the foot race, I recommend the following C.H.E.K Products:

• How To Eat Move & Be Healthy (Book)
• Volume I Core Conditioning Part II Back and Ball Training (Video)
• Paul Chek's Swiss Ball Exercises for Better Abs, Buns and Backs (video)
• Functional Stability Recorded live at the ECA NY Convention 2003 (audio CD)

Paul Chek, Holistic Health Practitioner and certified Neuromuscular Therapist, is the founder of the C.H.E.K Institute in Vista, Calif. He is also a sought-after consultant to sports organizations, and his services have benefited numerous professional sports teams, athletes and individuals seeking optimal health worldwide.

Paul has produced more than 60 videos, 17 correspondence courses and is the author of several books, audio programs and articles. For more information on Paul's popular "You Are What You Eat" audio/workbook program, or for any of his other health/exercise courses, videos and books, call 800/552-8789, 800/552-8789 (New Zealand or Australia), 44 (0)1273-856-860 (Great Britain) or visit online at the CHEK Institute Web site. Please feel free to request a catalog of CHEK Institute products.

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