Your Toes Can Predict If You'll Die Early And Heres's How To Fix Your Plantar Fasciitis! - Dr. Courtney Conley (Foot Expert)

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Courtney Conley (0:30)

I want people to start thinking about their feet because the implications it will have for longevity is massive. There is plenty of things we can do for foot strength and performance. You can actually do this at home, and I'm going to educate you here. There's a lot we can talk about here.

Steven Bartlett (0:45)

That didn't sound like a compliment.

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Dr. Courtney Conley is a world-renowned foot doctor who's making people rethink everything they know about their feet and the shocking truth about their shoes.

Courtney Conley (0:55)

One in three people will experience foot pain, and it really starts to deter your physical health, your emotional health, your mental health, because you can't do most things. And I know this because I was a ballet dancer and then a triathlete. I had all of the diagnoses, bunions, neuromas, heel pain, and not being able to walk and not being able to move, you can go to some pretty dark places. But when you look at the statistics, 5,000 steps a day can reduce the risk of having symptoms of depression and also reduce your risk of all-cause mortality by 15%.

Steven Bartlett (1:26)

Wow.

Courtney Conley (1:27)

Here's a bigger well. 9,800 steps can reduce the risks of dementia. So it's the most underutilized, easily accessible activity that most of us are not doing.

Steven Bartlett (1:36)

What about footwear choices?

Courtney Conley (1:38)

Footwear has such a big implication on our function. For example, around 70% of children are wearing shoes that are too narrow.

Steven Bartlett (1:46)

I've got a range of footwear here that most people wear. So what do you think of these shoes?

Courtney Conley (1:51)

You shorten the muscles in the back of the leg.

Steven Bartlett (1:53)

What is the issue with wearing these?

Courtney Conley (1:55)

So they change the structure of the foot.

Steven Bartlett (1:57)

What about this one here?

Courtney Conley (1:59)

You're going to make me start sweating.

Steven Bartlett (2:00)

So let's talk about some good shoes then.

Courtney Conley (2:02)

Okay, so these are the things you want to look for in a functional shoe. First...

Steven Bartlett (2:08)

Quick one, just give me 30 seconds of your time. Two things I wanted to say. The first thing is a huge thank you for listening and tuning in to the show week after week. Means the world to all of us and this really is a dream that we absolutely never had and couldn't have imagined getting to this place. But secondly, it's a dream where we feel like we're only just getting started. And if you enjoy what we do here, please join the 24% of people that listen to this podcast regularly and follow us on this app. Here's a promise I'm going to make to you. I'm going to do everything in my power to make this show as good as I can now and into the future. We're going to deliver the guests that you want me to speak to and we're going to continue to keep doing all of the things you love about this show. Thank you.

What are we getting wrong and at what stage in our life do we get it wrong? It feels like you have a little bit of beef with shoes.

Courtney Conley (3:00)

A little bit.

Steven Bartlett (3:01)

A little bit of beef. I've got a range of different shoes here, but what is it that we're being sold or told that is fundamentally not aligned with what it is to be a healthy, strong, happy human?

Courtney Conley (3:12)

I always say that if we started with our children and put them in the right footwear, I'd be out of a job.

Because that's when it starts. That's when the foot starts developing. And that's when we start to build strength and, you know, structure to the foot. And from a very young age, we start interfering with what goes on the foot. And when you think about all of the things that the foot can do, it's why I'm obsessed with it. I mean, there's bones and ligaments, and the foot should be designed to move. The arch recoils, so it should lengthen, and then it should contract. There's four layers of muscles in here. So when we look at the function of the foot, we have to respect that. And I think footwear can deter the function of the foot.