Are Your Feet Aging You

Let me ask you something. How do your feet feel? How much attention do you actually give them?

What if I told you your food health might be the reason your hips feel locked, your glutes won't activate, or your knees constantly ache?

What if I told you the feet that carry you through your life are likely weak, compressed, and undertrained, and that your favorite shoes, even sneakers, might be doing more harm than good?

Because they are.

And if you ignore your feet, your body will start breaking down from the ground up.

The Story That Opened My Eyes

Years ago, my dad looked at me and said,

"I've never known anyone of takes care of or appreciates their feet like you do."

At the time, I brushed it off. My toes were mangled from years en pointe. But ballet taught me that my feet weren't just there to get me through class, they had to be strong and nimble so I could perform at the level I was dancing. I had to release them regularly to improve balance, prevent paint and maintain function.

Years later, I worked with a client in her 70s who had spent decades in high-powered NYC jobs and stylish shoes. When I met her, it wasn't about finding better footwear.

It was about whether she could even leave the house. Her feet hurt constantly. She didn't trust them. She said they felt "dead"

Even walking short distances was hard. Golf was out. Social events became a challenge. Her entire life had become smaller, not because she lacked energy or motivation, but because her feet could no longer support her.

She didn't just lose foot strength, she lost freedom. That was the moment it all clicked

Our feet shape the rest of our body. And if they aren’t strong, mobile, and alive, everything above them will eventually start to fall apart.

Why Foot Health Matters More Than You Think

Most people are completely disconnected from their feet.

Decades of bad habits, compressive footwear, stiff soles, and hyper-supportive shoes that do all the work for you lead to collapsed arches, weak stabilizers, and tight ankles.

When you finally take your shoes off, your feet don’t know how to hold you up, roll through your stride, or support you in real time. And when your feet can’t do their job, your body starts compensating.

You’ll feel:

• Tight hips

• Weak glutes

• Pelvic floor dysfunction

• Knee and back pain

• Core instability

• A general lack of support, even if you’re strong elsewhere

These issues don’t happen overnight. They build slowly, year after year, until one day your body just doesn’t feel right.

Nobody wants to take time to work on their feet. But there’s a reason a foot massage feels so incredible.

Your feet are full of nerve endings, fascia, and deep connections to your posture and your nervous system.

And when you start to train them, everything changes. Your glutes fire like they’re supposed to. Your balance improves. Your core turns on, not just during workouts, but throughout your entire day.

The Big Toe Joint Might Be the Most Important One in Your Body

Every step you take should involve pushing through your big toe. That push determines whether your knee tracks properly, your hip opens and lengthens, and your glute can fire.

When you lose mobility in this joint, which most people do, everything above it suffers.

The knee twists. The hip stays tight. The glute doesn’t fully activate.

All that pressure gets redirected into the low back and pelvis, creating chronic dysfunction.

It’s also one of the most common causes of plantar fasciitis.

If the big toe can’t extend and roll off properly, the fascia on the bottom of the foot tightens and overcompensates, leading to inflammation, heel pain, and long-term tension. And most bunions trace back to this joint, the exact one we never think about.

This isn’t just about the foot. It’s about the entire way your body moves and functions every day.

How I Train Feet for Real Change

Foot training is part of everything I teach. It’s the foundation of stronger posture, better glute engagement, and lasting mobility.

This is where I always start:

Step One: Create Space with Toe Spacers

Most feet have spent decades compressed in shoes. Toe spacers restore space, improve circulation, and help reorganize the foot’s structure.

Toe spacers I recommend

Pro tip: Don’t just sit still. Move in them. Walk around, lift your heels, roll through your foot. Movement while wearing spacers creates real change.

Step Two: Release the Fascia

Rolling your feet on a ball isn’t just about the arch. It helps release the fascia that connects all the way up the back of the body: calves, hamstrings, even your breath can shift.

It’s one of the simplest ways to reset the system.

Step Three: Build Strength

Start by learning to dome your arch - lift it while keeping toes and heel grounded.

Then balance on one foot with that arch engaged and the foot grounded through all four corners.

This is how you begin integrating foot strength into everything you do: walking, squatting, carrying your baby.

Strong feet don’t just reduce foot pain. They create a stronger, more functional body.

Watch this video for a tutorial

Bonus: Comfort and Recovery

At the end of my pregnancy, my feet were exhausted. These shoes helped immensely.

Oofos Recovery Shoes

(I sized down in these)

If you’re dealing with foot pain, plantar fasciitis, or fatigue, these are an amazing tool for recovery and support.

Want to Go Deeper?

I have a full foot series on RMTV that walks you through everything I’ve shared — with guidance, breath cues, and integration into real-life movement.

If your body feels off, if you’re chasing pain, or if you’re ready to feel more supported, this is a powerful place to begin.

Final Thoughts

Your feet are the foundation.

They influence everything above them.

If they aren’t working, your body will struggle.

If your hips are tight, your knees ache, your glutes won’t fire, or your core doesn’t feel connected — start at the ground.

Train your feet.

Rebuild the base.

And watch what happens to the rest of you.

With Love,

Regan