LIFESTYLE NEWS - Exercise is one of the ways to improve your physical well-being and it aids in great measure to get rid of ailments, aches and pains. Follow the exercise programme provided by the biokineticists at Anine van der Westhuizen Biokineticist in George and feel the difference.
In the next few weeks biokineticist, Lize Coetzee will take a look at the role your feet play in locomotion (travelling from one point to another), and a few misunderstandings about the foot and the biomechanics of the foot during locomotion. Before we go into any detail, you need to have a good understanding of the Gait cycle.
The Gait cycle starts when one foot makes contact with the ground and ends when that same foot contacts the ground again. The Gait cycle can be classified into two main phases.
The stance phase and the swing phase. As you can see in the picture, the stance phase occupies most of the gait cycle, 60%, where the swing phase occupies 40 % of the Gait cycle.
The stance- and swing phase can be divided into six smaller phases.
- Heel strike
- Foot flat
- Mid-stance
- Heel off
- Toe off
- Mid-swing
This description of the Gait cycle is named according to the positioning of the foot.
The stance phase begins with heel strike. This is where the heel of the one foot come in contact with the ground, while the toes is still in the air. The toes then come in contact with the ground and is seen as foot flat.
During mid-stance, ground contact of the foot can be seen on the lateral (outside) border of the foot. The little toe contract and make the transition from mid-stance to toe off possible. Toe off can also be seen as a forward propulsive (driving or pushing) movement.
The swing phase is between the toe off and the next heel strike of the same foot. Between these two phases, the toe off and heel strike, the mid-swing can be found.
During mid-swing, there is no contact between the ground and the foot. In the swing phase one can find acceleration and deceleration.
Acceleration take place from toe off to mid-swing, and a deceleration phase from mid-swing to heel strike. This acceleration and deceleration make controlled foot placement possible, and a controlled Gait cycle can follow.
The foot is a very important link in the Gait cycle and locomotion. It is the base between the body and the earth and play a big role in the way forces is absorbed and transferred through the rest of your body.
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