Let’s begin from the bottom up…
The human foot is a fancy construction, very important for motion and stability. With 26 bones and 33 joints, it handles immense forces and adjusts to completely different surfaces, enabling numerous actions like strolling, operating, leaping and, in fact, dancing! One essential facet of foot mechanics is the “tripod foot,” which refers to a few key contact factors: the heel, the bottom of the massive toe and the bottom of the little toe. A great tripod distributes physique weight evenly and maintains stability with our stability.
The foot primarily has 2 actions:
- Pronation – a cellular adapter. A foot that spreads, opens and accepts load. This motion fires up all the extensor muscle groups of the physique. It’s a very important motion and to not be confused with a ‘rolling in foot’. We have to see an excellent pronation once we plié/fondu/soar, prep and land/squat, lunge and with strolling.
- Supination – a inflexible lever. A foot that gives a stable platform to propel our motion ahead. This actions begins after finish vary pronation and we’d like this foot form with an increase, en pointe, return from soar prep and strolling.
We now have over 26 muscle groups of the foot and ankle that all work to decelerate pronation and speed up supination. Some begin and end within the foot (intrinsic) and a few within the calf space, however hook up with the toes (extrinsic).
Foot coaching – It is a 3-step strategy for dancers.
- Optimum mechanics – pronate, tripod and supinate (these are actually a full physique motion as all joints hook up with all others within the chain )
- ‘Foot Health club’ – particular strengthening for the foot comparable to Doming, Toe swapping, Piano and rises. These are strengthening workouts particular to bounce as an exercise (not common foot perform!)
- Foot care – launch, therapeutic massage, nail care, brushing, barefoot work; to permit the toes to get well after the exercise of dance (typically in non optimum footwear — pointe footwear, heels, faucet footwear, and so on)
Frequent dance foot accidents
- Sesamoiditis – extra stress on this space below the 1st toe ( frequent from ‘fishing’ ).
- Tib publish tendon or posterior impingement – extra stress on this space from non-optimal supination and pronation mechanics, fishing and management points greater within the chain.
- Stress fractures (2nd, 5th) – extra stress from non-optimal foot mechanics and cargo.
- Bunions – no, these are usually not regular, or hereditary; they’re an indication of non-optimal foot timing once more.
Need to study extra about your toes ?
Begin with these movies!
The foot and the dancer: The foot in movement
How does the foot hook up with core recruitment? Foot to core sequencing
What are my toes doing? Your foot check-in
For extra approach, power and damage minimization ideas, observe the Strength4Dance YouTube channel: Strength4Dance.
By Sally Harrison, BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy, Corrective Train Coach, Private Coach, Pilates Educator, of Band-ITS & Strength4Dance.
