Here’s a little Foot Health Month pop quiz! How much do you really know about your feet? Think hard about it for a moment. Can you come up with anything?
If you’re stuck for ideas - don’t worry, we’re about to cram your head absolutely FULL of funky feet facts. So, tie those shoelaces and get ready… because we’re about to blow your mind with 10 Things You Never Knew About Your Feet!
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One quarter of all bones in the human body are in the feet! Each foot is made up of 26 bones, 30 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. Our feet are complex and intricately designed, and if just one of those 26 bones is damaged, the whole foot will be impacted.
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Feet are the body's natural shock absorbers and take 1.5 times our weight as we walk. Even more impressively, our feet take up to 5 times our weight as we run! Because of this, it’s super important to wear supportive footwear to prevent shock-related damage to joints when exercising.
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Ever wondered why feet are notorious for being smelly? Our two feet have a whopping 250,000 sweat glands and can produce up to one cup of perspiration PER DAY. Phew. No wonder they have such a strong odour.
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The largest shoe size ever recorded came in at a gargantuan 37AA (which equates to 47cms in length.) These mighty feet didn’t belong to just anybody, they were the proud possessions of American citizen Robert Wadlow, who’s height was recorded at a mind-boggling 8 foot 11! Turns out everything is bigger in America, even the feet.
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The average person takes 216, 262, 500 steps in their entire lifetime, and walks an almost inconceivable 178,637 kilometres! Our feet endure a lot of wear and tear, so it’s important to wear correctly fitted shoes and insoles if necessary. Have you ever considered wearing insoles? You should! Synxsole’s Everyday Insoles are specially designed by podiatrists to support feet through the rigours of daily life, absorb shock, and fit into a wide variety of shoes. Give them a try, you won’t regret it.
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Almost half of Australians (48%) wake up with heel, arch or foot pain. Yeowch! Despite this, it’s estimated that 58% of Australians have never visited a podiatrist. These statistics are a testament to just how little Australians know about their feet. (Maybe a few of us will learn something new with this blog!)
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Have you heard the word Polydactyly before? It’s the term for the condition where a person is born with extra fingers or toes, and comes from the Greek words for “many” (poly) and “digits” (dactos). Currently, a young boy from Northern India named Akshat Saxena holds the Guiness World Record for the most fingers and toes. Akshat has seven fingers on each hand and ten toes on each foot, boasting a grand total of 34 digits! Although it sounds shocking, polydactyly isn’t that uncommon and occurs in 1 in 1000 births of the general population.
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In many Asian cultures, particularly in Thailand, the feet are considered the dirtiest parts of the body, and the soles of the feet should never be pointed at another person, especially at Monks or in depictions of Buddhas. Pointing your feet in Thailand is considered very rude, and is a cultural no-no to be aware of if you ever find yourself in this beautiful country.
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Fun fact: did you know that feet can grow half to even a full size during pregnancy? And yes, this growth is permanent! Women experience foot growth between 2 to 10 millimeters during pregnancy. This foot growth can result in discomfort, pain, and even swelling. One of the best ways to combat this is by wearing compression sleeves during pregnancy! Synxplus’s Foot & Ankle Compression Sleeves provide the compression needed to reduce swelling and inflammation, taking the focus away from your feet and putting it on more important things, such as the little bundle of joy you’re growing!
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Last up: did you know that women are 4 times more likely than men to experience foot problems? This is attributed to the footwear that women wear, particularly high heels. Ladies, it’s super important to ensure your feet have adequate support to prevent foot pain from footwear. Synxsole’s Everyday Insoles can fit into a wide range of footwear, including your favourite pair of fashion shoes. Simply slide them in and feel your pain fade away.
Turns out, there’s a lot more to our feet than meets the eye! Hopefully now that you’ve learnt a thing or two, you’ll be ready to share these fun facts with anybody who’s willing to listen. Wanting something extra to talk about? SynxBody is now offering 20% off all purchases made online! All you need to do is enter code FEETFACTS2020 at SynxBodys’ checkout. Get in quick though, as this discount code is only valid from Monday, October 12th till Monday, October 19th.
Keep your body in synx with SynxBody.
