Often, after doing a foot lesson my students tell me that their back feels better.

Or that they sense less strain in their neck.

They are surprised because that’s not what they were expecting. After all, the foot lessons are for making the feet feel better, right?

But your feet and your spine are connected — literally!

Take your ankles for instance. When they are stiff, it can throw off your whole body’s natural movement.

Think of it like a ripple effect: if your ankles don’t have the mobility they need, your body compensates by putting more strain on other areas, like your knees, hips, back and maybe all the way up to your neck.

This extra work can cause tension and discomfort in places far away from the ankles, like your back and neck, making everyday movements feel harder than they should.

The good news? A little attention to ankle flexibility can make a big difference.

Even just a few minutes a day of paying attention to those ankle joints can help take the load off your back and restore a smoother flow to your movements.

Try This: Ankle Wobble

Stand up and turn your head to the left and to the right. If you are concerned about balance, keep a chair in front of you and lightly hold its back for support.

Notice how far you can see on either side from the corner of your eyes as you move your head side-to-side – you can mark the spots visually on the walls.

Now, do a slow-motion ankle wobble to the left — lift the inner edge of your left foot and the outer edge of your right simultaneously, swaying to the left a few times.

Rest.

Now, do the slow-motion ankle wobble to the right — lift the inner edge of your right foot and the outer edge of your left foot, swaying to the right a few times.

Rest.

Now do the original movement of turning your head to the left and to the right again and see how much farther you can see.

Give it a try, and write back to let me know if you notice a difference—I’d love to hear how it goes for you!