Which Way Do You Roll?

Our feet are our foundation, our base, our connection to the earth.  Yet many of us are standing on unstable ground.  If you tend to roll inward on your feet it’s called pronation.  Rolling out is supination.  Either one will create an imbalance that brings the knees inward and brings the pelvis and spine out of alignment.  Did you ever think that rolling in on your feet was a cause of your back pain?

Here’s a simple test to find out how firm your foundation is.  The ideal is to be neutral, not rolling in or out excessively.  While standing, bend forward and touch your toes.  You may need to bend your knees a bunch to get there.  Place the thumb of your left hand on the dimple on the inside of your left ankle (just forward of the ankle bone). Then place your forefinger on the dimple on the outside of the ankle bone. When both thumb and finger are in place, overpronate and flatten your foot. Feel the increase in pressure from the big ankle bone, which will have moved toward the thumb. Then oversupinate and shift your weight to the outside of the foot. You will now feel more ankle bone pressure on the forefinger. Pronate and supinate until the pressure of the ankle bone is even between the thumb and forefinger. Perform this technique on both ankles. You now know how to get your feet and ankles into a neutral position.  Make a habit of starting every activity with this awareness.