My clients and athletes hear it all the time from me. It’s a mini-mantra during my personal training and group workout sessions. The other day, one of my clients came over to me and said, “What is your deal with loving the big toe?”  I took a step back (toe, heel of course) and said with a big smile on my face, “Great question! Let me explain the benefits to you!”

Think of your body as a machine – each part working together to form a fluid movement – not single muscles working in isolation. Our fascia connects one muscle to another. Where one muscle ends, another begins. These lines of fascia help you produce, reduce and disseminate forces throughout your body.

So, to keep your body running like a well-oiled machine, you can’t work on one muscle or set of muscles. There is a single fascial line that runs from your scalp all the way to the tip of your toes. When you run, for instance, all of your muscles are engaged. The tension between your toes, ankle and knee assists with glut contractions.

That means those little toes are helping you have a firmer booty! Who knew? When I think about how important that big toe is in reaching your health goals, it just makes me smile!

References: Anatomy Trains, Thomas W. Myers