Let's be honest...the best part of fall isn't the leaves. It's the boots.
The tall ones. The chunky ones. The ones with the little heel you swore you'd only wear "for special occasions" and have now worn four days in a row. Add the big cozy coat and the scarf you could sleep in, and we are ready.
And I am fully on board. Wear the cute boots. You have my blessing. 😉
But as your Pilates instructor, I'd be doing you a disservice if I didn't tell you what's quietly happening underneath all that cozy. Because boot-and-coat season does two sneaky things to our bodies. One: It locks up our feet. Two: It closes up our shoulders.
The good news? We can absolutely do something about both.
So...what are my boots actually doing to my feet?
Your foot is not a block. It's 26 bones and 33 joints designed to bend, spread, grip, and roll.
Every step you take is supposed to be a little wave: heel lands, the foot rolls through the arch, and you push off through the ball of the foot and the toes. That rolling, bending quality is called articulation, and it's a big part of how you walk smoothly and balance well.
Now put that foot in a heavy, stiff-soled boot.
The boot does the work the foot is supposed to do. Your ankle doesn't bend as far. Your toes stop pressing and spreading. The little muscles that live inside your foot, the intrinsic foot muscles (I know...say that three times fast), basically clock out for the season.
Think of it like wearing a cast you picked out because it's adorable. 😆
A few months of that and many people notice their walk changes. Steps get a little more "clompy." Feet feel stiff first thing in the morning. Balance feels a bit less sure on an icy sidewalk. Your gait (the fancy word for how you walk) starts working around the boot instead of through the foot.
Footwork, here we come!
This is exactly why Joseph Pilates started the Reformer with Footwork. It's not a warm-up we rush through to get to the "real" exercises. It is the real exercise.
On the footbar, we work the foot in every position it's supposed to live in:
On the toes (Pilates V and parallel), where the ankle and the ball of the foot get strong.
On the arches, where the foot learns to hold its shape under load.
On the heels, where the back of the leg lengthens and the ankle bends.
Tendon Stretch, where the heels lower under the bar and rise back up, which is everything a boot won't let your ankle do.
Here's what I want you to notice this winter: Footwork is your gait, lying down. Pushing out and pulling the carriage back in is the same push-off and the same rolling through the foot you need for every step on the sidewalk.
So when you hear me say "lift the heels higher" or "don't let the ankles sickle"...I'm not being picky. I'm giving your feet back what your boots took away.
And then there's the winter hunch
Raise your hand if you've ever walked from the car to the studio with your shoulders up by your ears.
Yep. All of us.
When it's cold, we instinctively curl in to protect ourselves. The shoulders roll forward, the chest caves a little, and the head drifts in front of the body. Layer on a heavy coat pulling everything down and forward, and we basically spend November through March shaped like a cashew.
The muscles across the front of the chest, your pectorals, get short and tight. The muscles between and below your shoulder blades, the ones that help hold you upright, get long and sleepy.
And here's the part people don't think about: a closed-up chest makes it harder to take a full breath. (If you've read my breathing post, you know how I feel about breathing. 😉)
Try it right now: Wherever you're reading this, let your shoulders round forward and take a big breath in. Now sit tall, slide your shoulder blades gently down your back, open across your collarbones, and breathe again.
Feel the difference? Same lungs. So much more room.
Your at-home routine: happy feet
Boots off, socks off. Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. This takes about five minutes, and it's perfect while the coffee brews.
Toe ABCs. Lift one foot slightly off the floor and "write" the alphabet with your big toe, A to Z. Move from the ankle, not the knee. Switch feet. (Bonus points for cursive.)
Toe spreads. With your feet on the floor, try to spread all ten toes wide, like a fan, without curling them. Hold for 3 seconds and relax. Repeat 8–10 times. If your toes refuse to move at first, that's okay...that's the point. Use your fingers to help them apart until they remember.
Towel scrunches. Lay a small towel flat under your feet. Using only your toes, scrunch the towel toward you a little at a time, then push it back out. Do 2–3 rounds per foot. Your arches will feel it!
Heel raises (bonus). Stand tall holding the counter. Rise slowly onto the balls of your feet, pause, and lower with control, keeping your weight centered and the ankles from rolling out. That's Footwork, standing up. Do 10.
Go slow. If anything cramps (it might!), stop, rub it out, and try again. Its just information. That’s an area that is supposed to work but doesn’t want to 😉
Your at-home routine: hello, shoulder openers
You can do these standing or sitting. Keep your abdominals gently lifted and breathe the whole time, no holding your breath.
Shoulder rolls. Lift your shoulders up toward your ears, roll them back, and slide them down your back. Do 8 slow circles back, then 4 forward. Make them big and lazy.
Clasped-hand chest opener with neck rolls. Interlace your fingers behind your back (or hold a strap or towel if your hands don't reach). Gently straighten the arms and lift them away from your back as your chest opens. Stay there and slowly let your head drift side to side, ear toward shoulder, then a gentle half-circle across the front. 3–4 each way, then release.
Overhead lateral stretch. Reach both arms up, grab your left wrist with your right hand, and lean to the right, making a long "C" shape. Keep both hips heavy and reach long, not down. Breathe into the left side ribs for 3 breaths, then switch. This one is lovely for anyone who's been hugging their coat closed all day.
Doorway stretch (bonus). Place your forearms on either side of a doorframe, elbows at shoulder height, and step one foot gently through until you feel the front of the chest open. Hold for 3–5 breaths.
No forcing. These should feel like a good stretch, never a pinch. If something hurts, skip it and check with your doctor or ask one of us in class.
Why this matters (beyond looking cute)
Classical Pilates works from the inside out, and that includes the parts of you we tend to forget: the soles of your feet, the space across your chest, the muscles that hold you upright when the wind is blowing sideways.
When your feet can articulate and your shoulders can open, you walk better, breathe better, and stand taller. And you'll feel it in class, too. Many clients find Footwork gets steadier and arm work feels easier once their feet and shoulders wake back up.
Your winter challenge…
Here's the deal: boots off, toes out.
Every night this week, when the boots come off, give your feet two minutes of toe spreads and towel scrunches. And every time you take your coat off, do three slow shoulder rolls before you do anything else.
That's it. Small habit, big payoff.
Then come see me in the studio, and let's make Footwork your favorite part of class this winter.
Stay warm, wear the cute boots, and I'll see you on the Reformer!
