It is widely accepted that significant back pain often stems from poor posture, such as slouching at a desk or bending over a phone for extended periods. While these factors certainly contribute to the issue, there may be another underlying cause that is frequently overlooked.

Surprisingly, weakness in the feet and ankles could be a fundamental factor in the development of back pain.

Rishabh Telang, a fitness expert and the founder of Cult Fit, has highlighted how individuals often fail to recognize the link between foot health and back pain.

He stated, "Many people are astonished to learn that their back pain might actually be linked to their feet. If there is weakness in your feet and ankles, it can lead to repercussions that affect your knees, hips, and overall upper body."

Exercises to build strong feet and ankles

Rishabh shared a few exercises that help address this problem, strengthening the ankles and feet:

1. Sit down on a chair, bring one leg out and extend the ankle and imagine your toe is a pencil and draw all the alphabets using your toes from A to Z. Do the same thing on the other leg as well.
2. Bring a chair and place one leg on top, and then drive your knee all the way ahead of your toes and grab the chair at the bottom so you deepen the stretch. Bring it back and repeat. 10 repetitions on each leg.
3. Stand straight and bring your weight onto your toes by lifting your heels off the ground, and then walk a total of 10 steps. Now, exactly the opposite, bring your weight onto your heels by lifting your toes off the ground and walk another 10 steps.

Ripple effect 

His explanation and the exercises provided indicate that inadequate health of the ankles and feet can have a cascading impact on the entire body. This insight may also clarify why merely correcting posture or performing back exercises may not fully alleviate back pain.

This concept applies to various other aspects as well. Rather than concentrating solely on the immediate issue, such as posture correction, it is essential to consider the broader context, as the body functions as an interconnected system, and the underlying cause may lie in an unexpected area.

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