Valecia Weeks is licensed through the state of Texas as a therapeutic massage therapist who specializes in providing on-site chair massage for corporations and events. She currently provides massage for such organizations as the Houston ballet and Houston Methodist Hospital. Valecia is also a certified personal trainer with NESTA as well as a licensed ZUMBA instructor.
Just as a tree has roots to keep it stable, we busy women have feet to keep us grounded. Our feet are the foundation of our stability. There is a saying that goes, “When your feet hurt, your whole body hurts!” Wearing high heels can totally throw your body off balance. Walking in heels changes the body’s center of balance. The Bible speaks of a camel trying to make it through the eye of a needle. Let’s equate that with our poor toes, all 5 of them, trying to cram into a pointed toe shoe. That should be considered inhumane, but yet we continue to do so in the name of looking “cute”. I used to tell my daughter, “There’s a price to being beautiful”; but I failed to tell her it was pain, because as I grow older, I find myself comfortably placing my feet into a heel that is a little lower with a toe that is a little squarer.
Now, I know, ladies that at times we are required to wear heels either to have a professional or to cute look. Nonetheless, either can be a requirement. So let’s take a look at ways we can accomplish the desired look we like and still live to tell about it:
- Take it lower: I know this is a challenge, but try to wear heels that are 3 inches or less. When you go higher than that, you risk changing the biomechanics of how you walk, which puts more stress on your back and hips.
- Skinny vs. thick: with a woman’s height and weight, trying to do a balancing act on a skinny stiletto gives that poor heel no choice but to seek support by causing aches and pains in the calves, knees, and hips. Try a wider heel, which will help distribute the load more evenly.
- Do the switch: If you wear a 3-inch heeled shoe one day, switch to a 2-inch heel the next day. If you are not too busy, look for that match to that flat heel shoe that has been missing for a month; your back will thank you.
- Ladies, I know life is busy, but part of the price for being beautiful is paying the price to undo the damage to your hips, feet, and back that high heels can cause. Try these steps to help alleviate the discomfort being beautiful can cause:
- Hip work: before stepping into those sexy set of heels, keep limber by doing at least five minutes of hip flexor stretches before and after putting on high heels.
- Golf ball work: Place a golf ball on the floor and roll it under the arch of your foot as well as the heel for five minutes in the morning and evening. This massages your feet and keeps them flexible.
- A-B-C’s: Strengthen the ankle by writing the alphabet. Use your big toe to trace each letter of the alphabet in cursive in the air, moving only the foot and ankle. This will improve your range of motion so that your foot is able to flex and accommodate high heeled shoes.
Wearing heels can be a real hassle; but with a little maintenance, we as busy women can still look cute and professional and still be pain free with the steps mentioned above.
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