Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee Born To Walk: How To Reclaim Your Feet, Fix Your Pain & Transform Your Health with Dr Courtney Conley #629
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Feb 25, 2026 
Dr Courtney Conley, clinician and gait/foot mechanics expert who founded Gait Happens, explains why walking matters for lifelong health. She covers how modern footwear weakens feet, why the big toe is crucial, simple at-home foot assessments and progressive strengthening, plus practical tips for transitioning to functional shoes and protecting children's foot development.
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Walking Is A Physiological Necessity
- Walking is a physiological necessity integrated with breathing and sleeping, supporting every body system through rhythmic low-intensity locomotion.
- Courtney Conley frames walking as a required nutrient — “vitamin W” — that when impaired reduces sleep and respiration, degrading musculoskeletal, nervous and endocrine function.
How Modern Shoes Weaken The Foot
- Modern footwear often prioritises fashion over function, restricting foot motion and weakening intrinsic muscles so the foot cannot handle normal loads.
- Conley explains designers often lack biomechanics training, leading to shoes (cushioning, heels, arch support) that compensate for weakness rather than restore it.
Assess And Train With Single Leg Calf Raises
- Use single-leg calf raises as both an assessment and training tool, performed to a metronome to check height, control, and power.
- Assess quality: reach the ball of the foot, keep a straight leg, avoid compensatory leaning or ankle wobble.
