Spreading and stretching the toes naturally improves posture!
Examples of improvement in severe cases
Examples of Improvement in Minor Illnesses
Introduction.
Good posture is not just about standing up straight; it is also about looking good. It is also an important part of your health. Whether you are moving or standing still,Holding the body the right way can prevent pain, injury, and other health problemsFrom.
In this issue, Keiro Yuasa of the Toe Institute, a specialist in posture and occlusion, teaches how to create correct posture and how to improve bad posture. He will tell you how to check your posture easily at home and simple stretches to reset bad posture.
What is posture?
It refers to the way in which the body maintains itself, whether at rest or in motion.
1. dynamic posture
dynamic posturerefers to the posture one assumes when in motion, such as when walking, running, or bending down to pick up an object.
2. static posture
static postureis the posture when not moving, such as when sitting, standing, or sleeping.
What is correct and incorrect posture?
Being able to hold the correct posture keeps the bones and joints in position. This is also referred to as neutral position. This reduces abnormal wear and tear on joint surfaces, reduces stress on the ligaments that bind the spinal joints together, and allows muscles to function more efficiently. Good posture also helps prevent muscle tension, overuse disorders, and back and muscle pain.
Posture Types and Characteristics. Are you a hunchback? Do you have a slouching posture?
The ideal posture is with the pelvis tilted slightly forward, knees straight and without pressure on the internal organs.
A hunchback is characterized by a backward-tilted pelvis, bent knees, rounded back, and shoulders forward.
In a warped back, the pelvis is tilted forward, the buttocks protrude (chiri) and the lower abdomen protrudes (chiri).
Neutral position is a state in which the load on the body (joints, muscles, and ligaments) is minimal and the function of the whole body's motor and circulatory functions can be easily performed in a balanced and smooth manner. Generally, the array of neutral positions is,A body state in which the alignment of the auricle, acromion, adductor pollicis, center of the knee, and ankle of the foot are in a nearly straight line during static posture.refers to
Good and bad posture in pictures
Good posture shows that the alignment of the auricle, acromion, adductor pollicis, center of the knee, and ankle to the outer ankle of the foot is nearly aligned.
Bad posture can be seen when the points of the acromion, adductor pollicis, and the center of the knee are out of alignment in the line connecting the auricle and the ectrodactyly.
Various pains and discomforts brought about by bad posture. It also affects the alignment of the teeth and the brain.
Poor posture can have a negative impact on health.
A hunched or warped back can result in the following
- Misalignment of the musculoskeletal system, causing pain in muscles and joints
- Wear and tear on the spine, making it brittle and more susceptible to injury
- Causes neck, shoulder, and back pain
- Reduces flexibility
- Affects joint movement
- Affects balance and increases the risk of falls
- Makes food harder to digest
- Difficulty breathing
- Poor bite and tooth alignment.
- TMJ misalignment, resulting in poor jaw movement and pain
- have a slurred speech
- Decreased cerebral blood flow, increased risk of dementia, etc.
Self-check your posture! Is your posture correct?
It is not easy to judge whether one's posture is good or bad.
First, check your posture in two easy ways.
Posture check using a smartphone
Stand with both feet together. In this state, take a picture with your smartphone from directly beside and directly in front of you. Keep the following points in mind when taking the picture.
Is the center of the camera lens an extension of the navel?Check the Use the camera's grid function to take a clean shot.
Most smartphones have aGrid or cross markings.This makes it easy to capture the subject horizontally and vertically.
Connect the ear drop and the outer ankle with a line. The ideal posture is if the points of the acromion, hip joint (adductor pollicis), and center of the knee pass through that line.
Draw a vertical line from the center of each ankle. The ideal posture is when the navel and the centers of both knees are within this line.
If you have a hunchback or warped back, I think the point did not pass through the line you drew.
Posture from the side
...knee bend if the point of the knee is in front of the line, and a recumbent knee if it is behind the line, both of which are more likely to cause knee pain.
...hip joint point is more than a line.Front -> warped back (prone to hernia and stenosis), back -> hunched back (prone to compression fractures)It is.
...the line of the acromion is more than a line.The further back you go, the straighter the neck (more prone to shoulder and neck pain and mouth breathing)It is.
Watch the video to see how to do a postural analysis!
Consciousness does not create a really good posture.
If you check your posture and find that you have a hunchback or warped back, you can make a conscious effort to correct it. But there is no need to do that. Because "you can't create good posture with consciousness.
Certainly, you can create good posture while looking in the mirror. However, it is useless only when you are conscious of it. Many people have noticed that their muscles become stiff and tired when they are always conscious of the need for good posture.
The correct posture that is taught on TV or in health books, such as "stretch your back muscles with awareness of your abdominal muscles" or "open your chest and pull your chin in," is not very useful, because it is only effective while you are aware of it.
It is also impossible to create good posture for others. Even if you undergo physical therapy or pelvic correction, it is usually temporary and will soon return to normal and you will not be able to maintain good posture.
This is because your body is well balanced in your current hunchback/warped posture.
What are the real causes of poor posture?
So how can we create good posture without being conscious of it? All you have to do is return your body to a state of balance without hunching or slouching.
It is understandable if you think in reverse!
Let's replace the state in which a person stands with that of standing on one's head. When you stand on your head, what should your hands look like? The fingers of the hands should be spread wide and straight out. If the fingers of the hands are closed or bent, the arms will not be strong enough or balanced enough to stand upside down.
If we replace the hands with "feet," the wrists are the ankles, the elbows are the knees, and the shoulders are the hips. When the toes are well spread and extended, we can stand straight and balanced in the most comfortable position.
Even if your feet are unbalanced, your body will somehow try to stand balanced. This.postural reflexIt is also referred to as "the balance of the body". However, forcing balance distorts the bones and fatigues the muscles. The strain on these parts of the body leads to various pains and physical discomforts, including big toe.
Postural reflexes are unconscious control functions that attempt to maintain posture. It is an involuntary reflex mechanism that automatically tries to adjust or stabilize posture against gravity when balance is lost.
In other words, instead of correcting the part of the body that is ailing, stabilizing the foot, which is the foundation that supports it, will naturally increase the likelihood of improvement. For this purpose, it is necessary to restore the original function and shape of the toes.
Toes function the same as the "fingers" of the hand in reverse.
With the fingers spread out, they can grip the ground firmly even when they lose their balance, and the force will work to bring the posture back to a neutral position.
With fingers bent or closed, they will not be able to properly grip the ground in the event of an imbalance and will not be able to return their posture to a neutral position.
Feet, like the fingers of the hands, each finger has a role to play. When the body is about to lose its balance and posture, the functions of the thumb and little toes work to restore the body's balance to its original position. However, when the fingers are bent, the toes do not function properly and the body is unable to return to its original balance.
When the body's balance cannot be restored, the body tries to stabilize itself by deforming the legs, knees, hips, shoulders, etc., in an attempt to bring the center of gravity back to the center. However, unnecessary force in the muscles can cause knee or back pain, deform the joints, wear away the cartilage, or cause deformation of the bones themselves. Ankle osteoarthritis, knee osteoarthritis, hip osteoarthritis, lumbar osteoarthritis, herniated discs, and spinal canal stenosis are all compensations for standing in an unreasonable posture.
What causes bent or closed toes?
Bent toes due to shoe wear.
Unfortunately, most modern people have deformed toes due to the wrong choice of shoes and the way they wear them, and the foundation has collapsed. When the foot slips back and forth in shoes, the toes try to stop the slippage, resulting in hammertoes or floating toes. Socks and slippers can also cause the toes to bend.
In normal tubular socks (tube socks), a force of 4g~9gf/㎠ is applied to the toes, compressing them. Compressed toes are prone to dysfunction, resulting in bent or floating toes. On the other hand, if you wear tube socks, your feet will slide around in the socks, resulting in clasped or floating toes.
Loss of toe function results in loss of foot muscle tone and flat or open feet.
The bones of the foot are supported by many muscles to form a straight shape, but most of the muscles are attached to the toes. If the toes are not used functionally when walking, the muscles lose their strength and the foot develops a sticky shape called open feet without arches.
When the arch collapses, the muscles connected from the thumb to the little finger are stretched, causing the thumb and little finger to be pulled inward as the muscles try to return to their original length.
The thumb and little toe are pulled inward, causing the big toe and little toe to bend inward.
The foot has three arches. They are supported by the toe muscles, which are mostly attached to the toes. Walking without functional use of the toes causes those muscles to fall off, cushioning the feet and making them tired after long periods of walking.
Are posture and foot arches related?
If the toes are well spread and extended, the ideal balance is 50% weight forward and 50% backward. With clenched or floating toes, the ground contact area is reduced and weight is inevitably shifted to the "heel. This is one of the causes of heel center of gravity.
When weight shifts to the heel, the body almost falls backward. The body then tries to balance itself by using the upper body to somehow stand up. This leads to a hunched back or slouching posture.
Since the posture is one of forced balance (hunchback or warped back), the pelvis is distorted, muscles become fatigued, and joints are overloaded. This leads to stiff shoulders, lower back pain, knee pain, etc.
The same is true for straight posture. When the thumb or little toe malfunctions, or when the big toe or the big toe becomes bunion, the center of gravity, which used to be at the center of the sole, becomes skewed to the "outside" or "inside" of the foot. If the center of gravity is tilted to the outside, it is likely to become "O-legs," and if it is tilted to the inside, it is likely to become "X-legs.
If you have symmetrical O or X legs, there is no problem, but most people have an "axis leg" and a "dominant leg. If the left-right difference in leg length exceeds the limit, the pelvis tilts.
When the pelvis tilts, the spine, which sits on top of the pelvis, distorts in an S-shape and eventually tilts the face to try to balance it. This causes various pains and deformities in the joints of the body.
If the toes are spread and extended, the center of gravity is centered on the soles of the feet, so the body can stand in the most comfortable position (ideal posture), which is free from various "disorders.
Pelvic distortion also comes from the toes!
As explained above, changes in the position of the center of gravity of the feet, which are the foundation, cause the pelvis to become distorted. Also, during childbirth, the pelvis can become distorted as it opens wide and loosens. After childbirth, the pelvis tries to return to its original position over time, but if the pelvis is out of balance between the left and right sides through childbirth, it may be difficult for it to return to its normal position. Basically, we have the power to return to our original state, so by spreading and stretching our toes and walking, we can gradually approach the neutral position.
Is the distortion of the face also from the toes?
What causes facial distortion?
The cause of facial distortion is also the toes. By changing the position of the center of gravity of the feet, the foundation of the body, the body tries to maintain balance by deforming the feet, legs, pelvis, spine, shoulders, face, and jaw. Since facial distortion is also a compensatory movement to maintain balance, the best way to improve facial distortion is to spread and stretch the toes and walk.
Other causes of facial distortion may lie in our daily lifestyle. For example, habits of standing and sitting, the way we eat and sleep, and posture during sleep are likely to be factors.
rest one's chin in one's hands
The human head is said to occupy about 10% of the body weight. When we rest on our cheekbones, the center of gravity of our heavy head rests on one side of our face. This is said to cause distortion of the eyes, mouth and cheeks. However, there is no need to worry so much if it is not done for a long time.
Poor posture when sitting and working
Many people have the habit of hunching over and sticking their necks out in front of them due to the posture of sitting in a chair using a computer or smartphone. Poor posture leads to distortion of the spine. Such a condition is likely to cause facial distortion. It can be prevented by proper chair and table height.
He's got his legs crossed.
Have you ever heard that the habit of crossing your legs while sitting distorts your pelvis? Crossing your legs tilts the balance of your body to either side, affecting not only the pelvis but also the neck and shoulders. As a result, it is said that it also leads to facial distortion.
Be careful if your toes are like this! Types of toe deformities that cause poor posture
Very few people do not have crooked toes. This is largely due to our culture of wearing socks and shoes. Check your own feet by looking at pictures of your toes. Typical toe deformities include the following
- Hallux valgus
- Inner ring finger (inner ring finger)
- floating finger
- Kagami finger (a.k.a. hammertoe)
- Sleeping Fingers
Hallux valgus
This is a typical toe deformity. With both feet together, there is a V-shaped gap between the left and right thumbs. When the index toe enters the gap up to the base of the toe, it is a hallux valgus. The big toe is the main pillar that supports the body. If the thumbs are bent, the entire body, not just the feet, will lose strength.
Hallux valgus
If there is a gap around the nail, it is called an inner ring finger. If the base of the little finger is red, if the little finger nail is small, or if there is callus between the ring and little fingers, the possibility is great. The little finger controls the body weight so that it is not applied outward. People who cannot use their little toes are more likely to have "O-feet" because their weight is placed on the outside. Furthermore, they are also prone to "stiff shoulders" and "stiff neck" due to the difference between the left and right sides of the body.
Kagami finger (hammertoe)
If the nails of the second to fourth toes point straight down or are difficult to see when viewed from above, you have a "flexed toe. Some people have "hidden flexor toes," in which the toes flex only when weight is placed on them. The flexor toe is a brake on the foot. If you have a habit of flexing your toes, your body is constantly braking. You may fall or trip easily. Furthermore, the body gets tired easily and the calves of the feet tend to become flat. Your posture may also become more like a hunchback, and the "bent finger" may be the reason why you walk in an unusual manner.
Floating toe of thumb
If the nail is not visible when viewed from the front, or if the nail is warped upward unlike the direction of the nails on the other fingers, it is an udibuye. If the thumb portion of your socks is always torn, there is a high possibility that you have a floating toe.
Floating toe of little finger
You can use a business card, but if you can put it under your pinky finger and it scuffs in, you have a floating finger. In a nursery school survey, the floating finger rate for 3-year-olds was over 70%. In a survey at a dental clinic, the floating finger rate was 99%.
Sleeping Fingers
If the little finger or ring finger lies directly on its side or is bent into a "wiggle" shape, it is a "sleeping finger.
It is easy to see this by looking at the direction of the nails. Compared to the thumb, the ring and little fingers are easily neglected. However, without the little finger of the hand, it would be difficult to hold a knife and wear things. The same goes for a baseball bat or a golf club; without the little finger, it would be impossible to insert it from the t. The same is true of the feet, but without the use of the little finger, it becomes difficult to stand up straight or walk.
Many people know about hallux valgus, but may not have heard of hallux valgus, floating toe, crouching toe, or sleeping toe. This is because they have not traditionally been considered a problem. However, when we examined the relationship between the toes and the body, we found that these toe deformities cause imbalance in the body and have a negative impact on the entire body. Indeed, toe deformities were the "source of all diseases.
Simple stretches for correct posture!
Restore toe function with Hironoba exercises!
Hironoba Exercise" is a biomechanical stretching exercise for the toes, based on podiatry, devised and developed by Keiro Yuasa in 2008.Effective in improving big toe, little toe, floating toe, bent toe, sleeping toe, etc.The following is a brief description of the process. The foot and body balance will improve, and bad symptoms will disappear. If the goal is to maintain good health or prevent illness, doing both feet together once a day for 5 minutes is effective (if the goal is to improve illness or symptoms, the more often you do it, the more effective it will be).
STEP 1 Sit on a chair or on the floor and place one leg on the thigh.
Tilt knees down as far as possible
...to prevent the ankle from turning upward.
Place feet properly on the thighs
The back of the foot should be turned in firmly.
The ankle should come out slightly from the thigh.
STEP2-1 Place the fingers of your hand between your toes.
...Put the tip of one toe in the base of each finger.
Allow clearance at the base of the toes.
I feel like only the tips of my toes ride on the base of my hands.
...and toes snugly against the base of the hand.
STEP2-2 Don't put too many fingers of your hand between your toes.
OK
Ideally, the toes should not protrude from the fingers.
gaffe
...If you put your fingers in to the base of the toes, you will not be able to bend them properly.
STEP3 Gently grasp the hand with the toes in it.
OK
Grip the hand gently so that it is slightly above the base of the toes.
Press the thumb of the foot lightly with the thumb of the hand.
gaffe
It is difficult to warp when the fingers of the hand are inserted all the way to the base of the foot.
STEP4 Turn your toes toward the instep.
Gently and slowly warp
Press your toes with the base of your hand.
Ideally, the toe joints should be at 90 degrees.
(Do not overdo it if you are stiff)
Once warped, hold for at least 5 seconds.
(If stiff, hold for 30 seconds)
Gently and slowly
Warp the back with the image of stretching the instep.
Press the sole of the foot lightly with the whole palm of your hand.
Once warped, hold for at least 5 seconds.
(Hold for 30 seconds if stiff)
STEP5 Repeat STEP4
After repeating STEP 4, turn the opposite leg in the same manner. It is OK if you can do both legs for at least 5 minutes; if you are stiff, it is more effective to do one leg for 10 minutes.
If it is difficult to do it yourself, have someone else do it for you.
Learn more in the Hironoba Gymnastics video.
Hironoba Gymnastics Application
YOSHIRO SOCKS to improve toe deformities!
Introducing YOSHIRO SOCKS, five-toed socks developed based on podiatric medicine for orthopedic use.Perfect for big toe, bent toe, floating toe, sleeping toe, and big toe.I do. Even if you improve toe function with Hironoba exercises, if you always wear tube socks or slippery five-finger socks, the effect will be halved.
YOSHIRO SOCKS maintain 100% of the effects of HIRONOBA gymnastics and improve toe deformities while wearing them, with the comfort of a barefoot feel and an enveloping fit. We bring you great socks for the best walking.
YOSHIRO SOCKS have a shape-memory structure that constantly reproduces the ideal foot shape, and by wearing YOSHIRO SOCKS, the same effects as those of HIRONOBA gymnastics can always be obtained. For those with severe toe deformities or those who want quicker results, we recommend using YOSHIRO SOCKS in combination with HIRONOBA TAITO.
What you need besides toes to create correct posture
Adjust pillow height with bath towel
The pillow should be at a height that makes it "easy to spit and swallow" while lying on your back. Custom-made pillows or commercial ones are not necessary. Prepare about 6 to 8 bath towels, stack them one on top of the other, and swallow your spit while lying on your back. Then you should find a height that is comfortable for swallowing. That will be the right pillow height for your current posture.
After two weeks to two months of correcting your toes, your posture will gradually change and your pillow height will no longer match. At that time, you should find a pillow height that is equally easy to swallow spit and sleep on.
If you work at a desk, take a break every 30 minutes.
In a sedentary posture, muscles gradually become stiff. If this continues over a long period of time, it causes deformation of the bones as well as the muscles. Once the bones are deformed, it takes time and effort to put them back together.
Before this happens, try setting a timer every 30 minutes to stand taller, walk a little, or sleep on your back. Once it becomes a habit, you will not be able to sit in bad posture.
It is also important to get close to the proper weight
In fact, I once weighed up to 86 pounds. I thought my weight had nothing to do with my posture, but when I took pictures of my posture, I had a beautifully contorted back, which caused frequent back and knee pain.
I went on a diet with determination, and when I lost the weight to 64 kilograms, I found that I had an ideal posture. After that, I had no more back pain or knee pain, and I realized that it was important to get closer to the proper weight.
Walk barefoot on the beach once in a while.
What I also do every week is to walk barefoot on sand. This activates the mechanoreceptors in the sole and allows the toes to function to their fullest potential.
If you live in the city, you may not have the environment to walk on a sandy beach, so for those who do, you can do it on the grass in a park. Increasing zeta potential by Earthing is also recommended as it has the effect of smoothing the flow of blood throughout the body.
- Computer workstations etool. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. https://www.osha.gov/etools/computer-workstations. Accessed May Accessed May 20, 2021.
- Spine basics. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases-conditions/spine-basics/. Accessed Jan. 30, 2019.
- Muscolino JE. Posture and the gait cycle. in: Kinesiology: The Skeletal System and Muscle Function. 3rd ed. Elsevier; 2017.
- Bryan E. The basics. in: The Comprehensive Manual of Therapeutic Exercises. Thorofare, N.J.: Slack Incorporated; 2018.
- Maintaining good posture. American Chiropractic Association. https://acatoday.org/content/posture-power-how-to-correct-your-body- alignment. accessed Jan. 28, 2019.
- Madson TJ (expert opinion). Accessed Feb. 22, 2019.
- Reddy Syamala K, et al. Armrests and back support reduced biomechanical loading in the neck and upper extremities during mobile phone use. Ergonomics. 2018; doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2018.06.003.
- Laskowski ER (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. feb. 18, 2021.
- Functional Anatomy and Physical Therapy of Hallux Valgus. Yuasa, Keiro. Physical Therapy Vol.31 No.2 2014.2 P159-165
- Shift Your Toes and You'll Be Healthy" by Keiro Yuasa/author, PHP Research Institute, 2014.6
- The "Only Five Minutes of Toe Grasping Will Keep Your Hips and Back in Shape for the Rest of Your Life! Written by Keiro Yuasa, PHP Research Institute, 2021.6
