Do shoes help you gain balance?

Balance can be a challenge for people as they grow older, have ankle or foot injuries, or suffer vertigo. In a recently published article about the type of shoes that could support balance, it was discovered that there is no significant difference in balance with the shoe styles they looked at. This lends itself to the conversation that perhaps balance is not found in a shoe, but inside the body where the systems and the tissues work in harmony. What we put on our feet may change our outcomes to either support or take away from balance.

In Tai Chi, we massage the bottom of the feet as we move through each movement sequence. This is a power source for the foot reflexes that support the whole body with balance, centering, gravity, stability, and grounding. Our daily practice of Tai Chi supports continued growth and confidence in balance and other movement opportunities. This also provides a boost of energy to all the systems as well through the Bubbling Spring point at the end of the Kidney meridian.

You can check out our YouTube videos to learn more about simple Tai Chi exercises to support your self-care. They are in the Tai Chi Wellness playlist on @michellegreenwell.

The in-person classes are Tuesday mornings at the Inverness County Center for the Arts from 10 – 12 pm, and Thursday evenings at the Creignish Hall from 6:30 – 8 pm.

Online, check out the Movement Made Easy classes. They are just finishing up for the summer but will be back by popular demand in the fall. Be sure to subscribe to this website for the latest news and to get your update on when the classes will begin.

To review the study, you can find it here: Azhar, A.N., Munteanu, S.E. & Menz, H.B. Effects of supportive and minimalist footwear on standing balance and walking stability in older women. J Foot Ankle Res 16, 38 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13047-023-00634-y