Did you know that there are 50 muscles that help to control each of your feet?
With 100 muscles between your right foot and left foot, that is nearly 20% of your body’s muscles dedicated to making sure your feet are moving and functioning correctly.
But how often do you strengthen those muscles?
While squats, pushups, rows, and planks can all be great exercises for strengthening the rest of your body, the muscles of the feet hardly ever get any love and attention.
Sure, you might do some calf raises every now and then. Maybe you have incorporated some barefoot walking to try to keep your feet strong. And perhaps you even have been doing some exercises for your ant tibs, or the muscle right next to your shins.
But this is kind of like doing a quick once-over with your toothbrush every few weeks and saying all of your teeth are clean–gross!
So what can you do to really strengthen ALL of the muscles in your feet? Do you need to have 50 different exercises for each of them? How do you even know what muscles are there, let alone how to target them to get them stronger?
That’s where Muscle Activation Techniques® comes in. Muscle Activation Techniques®, or MAT®, is a systematic approach to assessing muscle dysfunction and then addressing it by strengthening each individual muscle.
A trained MAT® practitioner, specifically those trained in the MATRx process, will be able to quickly evaluate the strength of every muscle in your feet–from the ones that attach into your Achilles tendon, to the ones that make your arches, to the tiny muscles that go all the way to the tips of your toes.
Not only are they able to evaluate your feet very quickly, many practitioners will be able to get all of the muscles of your feet stronger and functioning better within five sessions, especially if they are trained in the MATRx process.
The great thing about having stronger foot muscles is not only will your feet overall be functioning better, but it will also help to relieve stress from your knees, hips, back, shoulders and even your neck. Each area of your body is so interrelated with all of the other areas, and with your feet being used often with standing and walking, having foot muscles that are strong and functioning well is a complete game-changer for many people.
In fact, there is no area of the body that we see that is as impactful as the feet on somebody’s general well being.
So many people wear extremely supportive and cushioned shoes that they no longer require their foot muscles to have to do much. Because of this, the muscles of the feet get weaker and more dysfunctional with every passing day.
Over time, this can lead to a variety of issues such as plantar fasciitis, shin splints, tight hamstrings, tight hips, and low back and neck issues.
But, by getting the foot muscles stronger with Muscle Activation Techniques®, many people are able to have these types of issues and more completely resolve and are able to feel more mobile and stronger than they have in years.
If you would like to try out Muscle Activation Techniques® to have your feet evaluated and strengthened, we would love to work with you.
Remember, nearly 20% of your body’s muscles are designated to controlling your feet, and if they aren’t strong, the rest of your body will suffer.
There is no more effective way to get all 100 of these muscles stronger than Muscle Activation Techniques®.
At Muscle Activation Schaumburg, we are certified in the highest levels of MAT®, including MATRx, MATRx Stim, and MAT® Athlete. If you are in the Chicago area, we are your spot for strengthening and improving the function of your feet.
Click here to schedule an appointment with us online, and we can’t wait to see you soon!
In strength and health,
Julie & Charlie