When Was the Last Time You Gave Your Feet Some Love?

This semester I set a special goal: to awaken and become more aware of the wonders of our body that support our well-being.

With pride and joy, I can share that on Tuesday, September 23rd, we launched our first local collaboration with Beröra Träning & Massage (berora.se), run by Cecilia Björk, massage therapist and personal trainer in Tullinge. ✨

It was a wonderful start: before my Tuesday Zumba class, we held our first activity together. I invited my Tuesday participants and also my Thursday group – and to my surprise, two new participants came as well, trying Zumba for the very first time. What a gift! 💃

The Question That Made Us Pause

Cecilia began with something so simple yet so profound that it truly touched us:

“When was the last time you gave your feet some love?”

I must admit I didn’t have a clear answer. My spontaneous reaction was: “

Uff… it’s been a long time since I thanked them or spoiled them.” And I believe many of us felt the same way.

Rediscovering Our Feet

During the talk, Cecilia helped us see our feet in a completely new way: not just as support or balance, but as a part of the body that is interconnected with everything else.

🔹 Each foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments.🔹 About 29 muscles work directly in the foot: 19 intrinsic (located inside the foot) and 10 extrinsic (originating in the leg but affecting the foot).🔹 The soles of the feet are full of nerve endings that constantly send important information to the brain to maintain our posture, coordination, and balance.

We also tried simple but powerful exercises:

• Walk on your toes, heels, outer edge, and inner edge of the foot, about 30 seconds each side, 2 rounds. This strengthens the muscles in both the foot and the lower leg.

  
  

• Spread your toes wide.

• Alternate between lifting the big toe and the other toes. Not everyone can do this – but with practice, it works!

  
  

• Care for your feet with massage and gentle stretching.'

  
  
  
  

• Foot arch grip exercise: use your toes to pull a towel under your foot – a playful and effective way to strengthen the foot muscles.

  
  
  
  

• Walk or jog barefoot when possible, especially on grass or sand.

  
  

Take your shoes off and enjoy feeling the grass or the sand under your feet

• Choose training shoes that respect the shape of your foot and give every toe its space.

I even came up with a creative idea: using a Rak och Ren soap with visible natural ingredients that, when rolling in the shower, not only cleans but also gives a natural massage to the sole of the foot.

An Invitation to Well-Being

This first meeting with Cecilia/Berora was short, but incredibly meaningful. We all left inspired and reflective, more aware that our feet deserve attention, gratitude, and care.

As a Zumba instructor, I want to share this with my students, because every step, spin, and jump begins with our feet. And when we take care of them, we dance with more strength, joy, and freedom.

The journey has only just begun: this semester we will continue with two more activities together with Cecilia, including her participation in our upcoming Pink Party for Breast Cancer Awareness. I am certain that each event will be another opportunity to raise awareness and celebrate the amazing body we live in.

Finally, I want to give a heartfelt thank you to Cecilia – not only for her warm and inspiring talk, but also for joining the Zumba class herself and becoming part of the group. What a joy to have her with us both on and off the dance floor! 💖

👉 And now I ask you: When was the last time you gave your feet some love?Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments – let’s inspire each other!