Library's review
'(Bowman) brings forward the promblems that are seen daily, explanations of why they are occuring, and simple yet productive approaches to solutions and preventions-all to finally dispel the myth that 'feet are supposed to hurt!''-David B. Alper, DPM, Podiatrist and former president of the
Foot pain can be more than just achy feet. Don't ignore it!
One in four women in the United States suffers from debilitating foot pain, which can affect the function of other body parts, from knees and hips to the pelvis and spine. But the hurting doesn't need to go on -the solution may be as easy as some simple changes and gentle exercises.
Every Woman's Guide to Foot Pain Relief will show you how to fix your feet and halt the cascading damage to the rest of your body. Learn what aiments might be your DNA's fault and what problems can be attributed to how you use your feet every day.
No matter what the cause, this book has the answer on how to make your feet feel better. Biomechanist Katy Bownman offers an innovative set of exercises to help those suffering from:
Bunions
Hammer toes
Plantar fasciitis
Tight calves and other lower-leg muscle pain
Poor posture and alignment
Other common ailments
A former science advisor for a foot wear company, Bowman also walks you through the shoes you should (and should not) be wearing at different life stages-without sacrificing fashion. Every Woman's Guide to Foot Pain Relief will teach you how the foot is designed to work and put you on the road to pain-free feet, no matter the cause.
Biomechanist Katy Bowman, MS, is the creator and talent behind the Aligned and Well DVD program, the director of the Restorative Exercise Institute, and the creator of the Restorative Exercise DVD kits for Gaiam. She is a regular contributor and expert for national health, fitness,and wellness publications and TV segments.
Contents
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1 Welcome to...your foot
How much do you know about your own anatomy?
Did you know that you should be able to lift each toe by itself?
Can you? If not, the basics of foot motion will be fun ride!
Chapter 2 Where do your feet stand?
Any ballerinas out there walking around with their feet turned out? Why do our gait patterns differ so greatly from person to person, but tend to be the same within a family? (Hint: it's not genetic!)
Chapter 3 The foot bone is connected to the hip bone
Sometimes foot pain is created much higher in your body than you realize. The way you stand can load tissue in the wrong place, causing it to wear out before its time. Do you wear your hips out in front of you? That's a good place to start looking for likely culprits!
Chapter 4 Take a stand against your mother's bunion!
Even though bunions tend to run in a family, their appearance in your family tree has a lot more to do with the way you learned to move your body and the footwear you are choosing to wear, as opposed to flaws in your tissue. Find a sulution here!
Chapter 5 Your shoes...a map
The parts of a shoe go beyond the latest style. By learning to identify four main characteristics, you can make smart choices when it comes to improving your outfit-and you foot health.
Chapter 6 Shoe science
What is it about a shoe, really, that limits foot health? Turns out that the four main parts of a shoe each have particular qualities that can increase the development of common ailments like hammertoes, plantar fasciitis, bunions...just to name a few!
Chapter 7 Women...undermining women's health
Is the high heel really that bad? Reall? What about the research? If a shoe was implicated in ailments of the foot, knee, or spine, wouldn't it be on the front of every newspaper? well, the research is showing something...and frankly, no one's talking!
Chapter 8 The foot gym
Everyone knows they are supposed to exercise, but few of us know what to do with the muscles in the foot...and there are a lot of them down there. This chapter offers a simple, eaasy-to-follow program that will help you restore function to the underused muscles in the feet, as well as increase circulation to the tight, overstressed tissue of the lower leg.
Chapter 9 Taking the next (first) step
Do healthy feet require a complete closet makeover? Am I going to be banned from cute shoes forever? How do I fit more exercise into my busy day when I can barely handle what is currently on my plate? Find those answers here.
Chapter 10 Guidelines, recommendations, and frequently asked questions
What if I don't have foot pain, but want to prevent it? What if I want too optimize foot development in my friends and family? Does footwear matter during pregnancy, childhood, and my later years? Included here are guidelines on foot wear for various ages and stages in life. Come find out what is best for your (or your family's) feet!
Exercise and positions to keep healthy feet
Appendix
Glossary of terms
For further reading (bibliography)
About the author
Image credits
Show More
Massachusetts Podiatric Medical SocietyFoot pain can be more than just achy feet. Don't ignore it!
One in four women in the United States suffers from debilitating foot pain, which can affect the function of other body parts, from knees and hips to the pelvis and spine. But the hurting doesn't need to go on -the solution may be as easy as some simple changes and gentle exercises.
Every Woman's Guide to Foot Pain Relief will show you how to fix your feet and halt the cascading damage to the rest of your body. Learn what aiments might be your DNA's fault and what problems can be attributed to how you use your feet every day.
No matter what the cause, this book has the answer on how to make your feet feel better. Biomechanist Katy Bownman offers an innovative set of exercises to help those suffering from:
Bunions
Hammer toes
Plantar fasciitis
Tight calves and other lower-leg muscle pain
Poor posture and alignment
Other common ailments
A former science advisor for a foot wear company, Bowman also walks you through the shoes you should (and should not) be wearing at different life stages-without sacrificing fashion. Every Woman's Guide to Foot Pain Relief will teach you how the foot is designed to work and put you on the road to pain-free feet, no matter the cause.
Biomechanist Katy Bowman, MS, is the creator and talent behind the Aligned and Well DVD program, the director of the Restorative Exercise Institute, and the creator of the Restorative Exercise DVD kits for Gaiam. She is a regular contributor and expert for national health, fitness,and wellness publications and TV segments.
Contents
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1 Welcome to...your foot
How much do you know about your own anatomy?
Did you know that you should be able to lift each toe by itself?
Can you? If not, the basics of foot motion will be fun ride!
Chapter 2 Where do your feet stand?
Any ballerinas out there walking around with their feet turned out? Why do our gait patterns differ so greatly from person to person, but tend to be the same within a family? (Hint: it's not genetic!)
Chapter 3 The foot bone is connected to the hip bone
Sometimes foot pain is created much higher in your body than you realize. The way you stand can load tissue in the wrong place, causing it to wear out before its time. Do you wear your hips out in front of you? That's a good place to start looking for likely culprits!
Chapter 4 Take a stand against your mother's bunion!
Even though bunions tend to run in a family, their appearance in your family tree has a lot more to do with the way you learned to move your body and the footwear you are choosing to wear, as opposed to flaws in your tissue. Find a sulution here!
Chapter 5 Your shoes...a map
The parts of a shoe go beyond the latest style. By learning to identify four main characteristics, you can make smart choices when it comes to improving your outfit-and you foot health.
Chapter 6 Shoe science
What is it about a shoe, really, that limits foot health? Turns out that the four main parts of a shoe each have particular qualities that can increase the development of common ailments like hammertoes, plantar fasciitis, bunions...just to name a few!
Chapter 7 Women...undermining women's health
Is the high heel really that bad? Reall? What about the research? If a shoe was implicated in ailments of the foot, knee, or spine, wouldn't it be on the front of every newspaper? well, the research is showing something...and frankly, no one's talking!
Chapter 8 The foot gym
Everyone knows they are supposed to exercise, but few of us know what to do with the muscles in the foot...and there are a lot of them down there. This chapter offers a simple, eaasy-to-follow program that will help you restore function to the underused muscles in the feet, as well as increase circulation to the tight, overstressed tissue of the lower leg.
Chapter 9 Taking the next (first) step
Do healthy feet require a complete closet makeover? Am I going to be banned from cute shoes forever? How do I fit more exercise into my busy day when I can barely handle what is currently on my plate? Find those answers here.
Chapter 10 Guidelines, recommendations, and frequently asked questions
What if I don't have foot pain, but want to prevent it? What if I want too optimize foot development in my friends and family? Does footwear matter during pregnancy, childhood, and my later years? Included here are guidelines on foot wear for various ages and stages in life. Come find out what is best for your (or your family's) feet!
Exercise and positions to keep healthy feet
Appendix
Glossary of terms
For further reading (bibliography)
About the author
Image credits
Show Less
Genres
ISBN
9781936661077
Publication
BenBella Books, Inc. Dallas, Texas