The Hidden Link Between Your Feet & Core

We spend a lot of time talking about the core: how to strengthen it, activate it, stabilize it. But what if one of the biggest influences on your core strength isn’t your abs at all?

What if it’s your feet?

Why the Feet Matter

Your feet are your foundation. They’re the first part of your body to connect with the ground and constantly send information up through your legs, hips, and spine about how to move and stabilize.

Each foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. They’re built to absorb force, adapt, and give feedback to your brain.

When your feet get stiff, weak, or spend too much time in supportive shoes, that whole communication system gets a little fuzzy. And when the base isn’t working well, everything above, including your core, has to compensate.

How the Feet and Core Are Connected

The link between your feet and your core isn’t just structural — it’s also neurological.

Every time your foot hits the ground, your body sends signals up the chain to help your hips and trunk stabilize. If your feet aren’t doing their job, your core won’t respond the way it should.

That can look like:

• Tight hips or low back

• Feeling off balance

• Repeated overuse injuries (plantar fasciitis, shin splints, etc.)

• A core that feels “weak” no matter how much you train it

Your body is smart — it will find ways to keep you upright and moving, but that often means overusing some muscles and underusing others. Over time, that can lead to discomfort or recurring pain.

What I See in the Clinic

I see this all the time. People come in with back or hip pain, frustrated because they’ve worked on their core, stretched everything, and still feel off.

And then we look at their feet.

Once we start improving how they move, load, and balance through their feet, things start to click. Their core activates better. Their posture changes. Movement feels smoother and stronger, all because the body is finally working as a connected system again.

How to Reconnect Your Feet and Core

You don’t need fancy tools or a long routine, just a few simple habits done consistently.

Try these:

1. Activate your arches. Try “short foot” exercises — lightly pull the ball of your foot toward your heel without curling your toes.

2. Wake up your toes. Lift or spread them to get those small stabilizers firing.

3. Balance daily. Stand on one leg or slowly shift your weight side to side.

4. Pair it with breathing. Connect your breath and core while your feet stay grounded.

Final Thoughts

Your feet and your core are teammates. If you’ve been focused on strengthening your core without thinking about what’s happening below, you might be missing the most important part of the system.

Real stability starts from the ground up.

Strong feet, strong core, strong you — let’s make it happen.