This week’s Sunday with Sisson is going to be a quick reminder about the orientation of your feet while walking or running or even just standing.
I’m obsessed with walking, and I’m obsessed with the way people walk, so I can’t help but observe them whenever I’m out. Yes, that means if I’ve ever come across you in public, I probably analyzed the way you’re walking.
Far too many people walk with duck feet, with their feet splayed out at 45° angles, hips externally rotated. This isn’t just inefficient. It’s actively harmful to your joints and leaves you open to collapsed arches and your knees caving inward.
What happens when you spend your life walking around in duck feet?
Instead of the weight being positioned over your heel and ball of your feet with your arches engaged, the weight shifts to the medial part of your foot and your arch collapses.
Your knee has a tendency to collapse inward, leading to joint degeneration and even meniscus or ligament tears, especially if you’re moving at high velocities and high impacts with those duck feet.
Your ankle position is also compromised, leaving you open to sprains.
You won’t be as fast, fluid, or powerful when doing athletic movements or even just running or jogging. How can you be, when your feet are pointed in different directions?
A simple heuristic to follow that always works is to point your feet in the direction you’re going. It’s that simple. Point your toes in the direction you’re walking or running or facing.
You can also help support your ability to point your feet forward by strengthening hip flexors, hamstrings, and glutes.
If you aren’t convinced, just try turning your feet outward and then observing the way your body looks. Are your joints aligned? Do you feel stable and athletic?
Anyway, follow the heuristic I outlined above and see how it works out for you. | 
