Keep your feet moving - Why foot mobility matters

Written By freemymovement .

Let’s talk about feet…

They’re the foundation of everything we do. From standing, walking, running, jumping and yet we often give them the least attention. We cram them into shoes, pound them on pavement, and expect them to just work. But how your feet move matters … more than you might think.

Each foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, and 19 muscles, all held together by connective tissue known as fascia, including one of the strongest: the plantar fascia.

So, what are your feet really designed to do?

The Role of the Foot in Movement

Feet aren’t just for balance, they carry your full body weight, adapt to changing surfaces, absorb shock, and help propel you forward. When one or both feet stop moving well, your entire movement chain from ankles to shoulders can be affected. That’s where pain, misalignment, and recurring injuries often begin.

Let’s break down the most important foot motions:

1. Ankle Dorsiflexion – The Key to Efficient Movement

Dorsiflexion is the movement that lifts your toes up toward your shin. We use it with every step. If your dorsiflexion is limited:

  • Your foot can’t absorb shock effectively.

  • Your stride shortens.

  • Pressure transfers to the knees and hips, especially during running or jumping.

🩺 Common injuries:
ACL tears, shin splints, plantar fasciopathy

2. Subtalar Eversion & Inversion – The Body's Shock Absorbers

These movements happen just below the ankle and are vital for foot stability and adaptability.

  • Eversion – The heel rolls outward, enabling your foot to roll onto the big toe. This is key for absorbing shock and adapting to the ground.

  • Inversion – The heel moves inward, raising the inner foot edge. Think of how your foot moves when you sit cross-legged or roll an ankle.

🧩 Why it matters:
When eversion is restricted, your foot loses flexibility. This limits tibial rotation, affecting knee alignment. From there, the hip compensates, followed by the pelvis, spine, and even the shoulders. It’s a domino effect of compensation, imbalance, and strain.

⚠️ If you’re experiencing:

  • Knee misalignment

  • Lower back pain

  • Hip tightness

  • Shoulder tension
    …it might start at your feet.

🩺 Common injuries:
IT Band injuries, Peroneal tendinopathy, Sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction, Hip Impingement, to name a few.

3. Don’t Forget the Toes!

Especially the big toe, which plays a major role in gait and propulsion. Without full mobility here, your foot can’t push off efficiently. The result? Overloading of surrounding joints and movement inefficiency.

🩺 Common injuries:
Hallux rigidus, plantar fasciopathy, Achilles tendinopathy

So, What’s the Solution?

We need feet that move freely, efficiently, and without bracing. That’s where The Lyno Method® and body alignment coaching come in.

How We Help at The Body Alignment Coach

✅ Measure & Assess:
We use full-body range of motion testing to identify where your fascia is locked or bracing.

✅ Identify & Release:
We find the discrepancies between your left and right sides and use gentle, nervous-system based techniques to release restrictions.

✅ Restore & Retain:
We give you specific mobility exercises to help retain new movement patterns, breaking old compensation habits.

✅ Align & Strengthen:
Once the body is moving neutrally, we focus on improving range and building strength, without pain or overcompensation.

Final Thoughts

Your feet are the foundation of your movement system. When they stop moving properly, the whole body compensates and that can be the start of chronic pain or injury.

If you want to move pain-free, perform better, or simply feel better in your body…
Start with your feet.
Get assessed. Get aligned. Get moving.

#FreeYourFeet

freemymovement .