Feet are like the soldiers of the body, marching along as we direct them with nary a moment's rest. They are the voiceless warriors, content only to bring us where we need to go. How we hurry them! How we torture them, shoving them into high heels, work boots, wet sandals and ugly slippers.
It doesn't end there. We ignore our feet the way we ignore the sticky brown stuff in the bottom left hand corner of the refrigerator; we know they hurt and we should do something about it, but we just keep shoving them into their not-supportive-enough shoes and flinging them forth.
How many of us feel that we've reached a sort of blissful state during and after having a pedicure? I myself would do nothing but have pedicures for the rest of my life if working and spending time with my family weren't, of course, my top priorities.
I don't get pedicures for the toenail polish part, although that's certainly lovely (Especially lighter colors in summer and darker in winter, like now). I get pedicures, though, because, as the cultures of human contact knew for centuries, rubbing someone's feet heals them.
The muscles and tendons in our feet, calves and lower legs get so over taxed and strained it affects our lower and upper back, our abdominal muscles, and, without our often admitting it, our moods and our frame of mind.
The new shoes that have been coming out attempt to address this issue. Advertised as shoes that will help get you into shape, they actually originated out of research done in Africa with tribes that experienced virtually no foot, back or abdominal pain due to the strain of walking and running and they do quite a lot of it.
As any chiropractor will tell you, your feet will affect every other part of your body, including the manner in which you walk, hold yourself and feel.
Trying out these shoes may be just what the doctor ordered, but at the very least, buying an inexpensive insole for your current shoes can help a lot. The next time you go to the doctor, you can ask about the condition of your feet and how they may be affecting your overall health and stress.
Aimee Boyle lives, works, writes and spends lots of time with her family on the beautiful shoreline of Connecticut.