Walking outside with Zuby

I was just looking for a couple of guys to take on my walk when I came across this podcast (Zuby, love the guy) and a guy talking about foot pain. Boy, did I learn a lot.

https://youtu.be/S_SOdzLjEjo?si=YxWg_6jCDNZT_Rt-

https://wydefootwear.com/ I don't own a lot of shoes, but I do change 2 or 3 times a day to be comfortable. I'm willing to try a pair.  He's an entrepreneur.  A start up during Covid.

"Wyde Footwear was founded with one main mission: To restore our innate human foot function in as many people as possible. Known for being designed after real feet while having zero compromise on design and functionality; Wyde serves customers around the world who are relentless in their search for a healthier body and life."

Exercises for healthy feet

Exercising your feet on a regular basis not only improves overall foot health, but may also reduce your risk for injury. Walking is the best overall foot exercise. When you walk, you put your foot through its full range of motion, from the time your heel hits the ground until you lift off with your toes. Moreover, walking is one of the best forms of exercise for your entire body. It improves your cardiovascular health and can help your circulation, muscle tone, and mood.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/exercises-for-healthy-feet

See the website for simple workouts to stretch and strengthen your feet.

Today’s torturous ultra-high heels remind me of Chinese custom that lasted over a thousand years

"The practice of binding feet was originally introduced about a thousand years ago, allegedly by a concubine of the emperor. Not only was the sight of women hobbling on tiny feet considered erotic, men would also get excited playing with bound feet, which were always hidden in embroidered silk shoes. Women could not remove the binding cloths even when they were adults, as their feet would start growing again. The binding could only be loosened temporarily at night in bed, when they would put on soft-soled shoes. Men rarely saw naked bound feet, which were usually covered in rotting flesh and stank when the bindings were removed.”  Jung Chang, Wild Swans: The Three Daughters of China

Beginning at an early age, the bones in a girl child’s feet were crushed as toes were bound and arches were destroyed.  She was in constant pain, but her bound feet were her greatest asset. I suppose corns, bunions, callouses and broken ankles plus being unable to walk or run  is less painful, but it still amazes me that women  still do this to appeal to men.

"I regret binding my feet," Zhou says. "I can't dance, I can't move properly. I regret it a lot. But at the time, if you didn't bind your feet, no one would marry you."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8966942

Instruments of torture

My summer sandals are about 10 years old; attempts to replace them have failed, with the new ones tossed after a few wearings. Everyone is wearing foot thongs, and since I remember wearing them to class and remaining upright when I was in college, I thought I'd give them a try.

These Target thongs, called Winifred, were only $3.00 at Marc's so I thought, what would hurt if I bought them? My feet.

Monday Memories of going barefoot

I looked through my albums, but I was a poor deprived child--my mother's camera broke after the first two children, and I can't find a photo of me in bare feet. Although I'm pretty sure that like most children growing up in the 1940s, I rarely wore shoes in the summer except to go to church. Several years ago my son had a summer job mowing lawns. I was a bit concerned because he was suffering from a bad back--stenosis of the spine, I think. Anyway, after a summer of walking behind a lawnmower, he was fine. I'm not sure he was barefoot, however, he might have been.

To stay on track here, the toes on my right foot began to hurt last summer while I was wearing a pair of sandals and giving a presentation in front of the Green Gables (Lakeside) on 19th century architecture. I sort of limped home and put the sandals away. Most of the time, the foot didn't hurt as long as I didn't wear them.

Last week-end I put on a different pair and the same pain started--I think it is a nerve between the 3rd and 4th toes, but I suppose it could be on the ball of the foot. So I googled it--found a picture and pointed. I read through the stuff, book marked it, but have already forgotten what that nerve area is called. (Cousin Bill, help me out here.) But I did remember my son. So today I went outside with my CD of Luther's Small Catechism, took off my shoes and socks, and walked for about 30 minutes in the back yard. It's a very different sensation. For starters, you have to lift your foot a little higher because dragging your toes through grass is not a fun feeling. Then you have to watch for sticks and rocks. And dog poop. I wouldn't say my foot feels better, and my back hurts a little from the awkward gait, but it wasn't too bad for a childhood memory.

Casual Friday

says the Well Dressed Librarian is not the day to wear your flip flops--that's for running to the store. And don't wear socks, or pick at your toes; wash your feet, get a pedicure, etc. Toe jewelry won't help dirty toes. This guy knows his stuff. Better yet, IMO, don't wear them in public.