Most women do not know that over 74 percent of all people will at some point develop foot problems. Unfortunately most of this percentage are women. Commonly women begin to suffer with foot problems as they enter peri-menopause.  This is a time when the structure of the body begins to change. The joints begin to stiffen and the bones begin to show their age. This means that the feet will notice these changes more rapidly because they are an extremity receiving less circulation and because they are stuck in shoes for so many hours daily.

 Women tend to wear various levels of heels throughout their younger lives. The feet are held in shoes that often narrow in the toes. With enough years in these fashionable shoes, the toes will begin to take the form of the shoes worn the most. This means that by the time you reach peri-menopause and beyond the feet have been formed to the shoes most often worn. Because women do not think about the need to get their shoes out of their feet, the feet slowly but surely become stuck and no longer have their full function. They actually begin to calcify to the form of shoes. The little toes narrow in and so do the big toes. The metatarsal bones which are the long bones narrow in too, making it difficult for the muscles to reach the toes where they end cutting off toe function. The toes are actually meant to help the feet thrust forward. Being stuck in shoes they actually stop doing their function. The restrictions placed on the feet over all these years finally begin to create the discomfort that so many women feel.

When we are younger the bones and soft tissue are moveable and flexible and so it is easy to wear all these shoes that we love to wear. It can be horrible for women to find that suddenly they can no longer wear certain shoes.

I have heard women often say to me that they can not believe that I am wearing high heels. My response is often to smile and say, "I wear them because I can." I have been developing programs over the years which keep my feet in shape so that shoes do not become an issue. The Yamuna Foot Fitness and the Yamuna Save Your Feet are programs that teach you how to rebuild healthy foot function. I always tell people not to wait until they have foot problems to take care of their feet. Beginning young to take care of your feet means that chances are that when you reach peri-menopause and the years beyond you will not suffer from foot problems. 

We live in a world where everyone is aware of the need to stay fit and yet there is little education offered about how to keep your feet in shape. Learning how to improve your foot function and keep it throughout your life is essential. It is a major key to longevity.

Having foot problems is not fun. Limping around because your feet hurt is not a sexy look. Aging gracefully is what we all want to do and healthy feet are key to keeping young and fit. One of my suggestions is to get your shoes out of your feet when you come home from your day. I have developed something called the Yamuna Walking Test. You can find it on YouTube. Your feet get stupid in almost every shoe you put on even if you think it happens to be a healthy shoe. You need to free your feet from any shoe form so just practice The Walking test and get every part of your foot moving. Your feet will thank you. Walking barefoot in your home  or in grass is also very important as long as you are mindful to use every part of your feet. The feet need to be free to work and support the rest of the body.