Yamuna Zake, The Ultimate Body Rolling Workout, The Foot Fix
Yamuna Zake
Yamuna Zake is a master teacher of body sustainability dedicated to demystifying the body and providing simple, powerful tools to make lifelong fitness a reality for everyone. She has trained an international network of 800 certified practitioners, from the U.S. and Canada to Europe and Asia, and hosts sellout foot-fitness classes around the world for clients of all ages. Her work has been featured internationally in magazines, newspapers and on TV, and she is the author of The Ultimate Body Rolling Workout and The Foot Fix.
Q: What inspired you to write The Foot Fix?
A: I have been obsessed with the feet and their connection to our overall well-being for years. I’ve worked with injuries and structural problems for over 40 years and kept finding that if there was a knee, hip or lower back problem, the feet were always involved. I could correct a hip problem but without a re-education of one’s feet, the issue would return. Most foot problems are created on their own, so there is little point, if we don’t retrain the feet to break their old pattern. For example, a woman with bunions would get a bunionectomy but if she’s not taught how to walk without putting pressure on her big toe, she’d eventually create the same problem again. I have always wanted to write this book. When I met one of the editors at Watkins and spoke about the idea, she thought it might be a book Watkins would want to publish. With their tremendous support, The Foot Fix was released this January.
Q: Why are healthy feet crucial?
A: Our feet are our foundation. If they do not function properly the rest of the body begins to break down. Our feet are meant to support and move our entire body. It makes sense to ensure they are working optimally. Unfortunately, there is very little useable information about the feet that people can really understand and implement to build healthy feet.
Q: What are some common foot problems?
A: Plantar fasciitis, bunions, hammer toes, Morton’s neuromas, fallen arches and flat feet. Each of these problems are written about in a special chapter in the book with practical ways to correct them.
Q: What does The Foot Fix program consist of and what are some of the benefits?
A: The Foot Fix is a four-week program that takes the reader on a step-by-step process on how to rebuild their feet. It is a mindful approach, which helps people be constantly aware of what they are doing with their feet and how to self-correct old patterns and build healthier ones. The book starts with what I call The Walking Test, so you can see which parts of the feet you actually use and which ones don’t yet work. The test is revisited after every session, so you notice just how quickly your feet improve. The Power Stance is then introduced which offers you a mindful way to stand with lifted arches and your toes, heels and outer foot engaged. Each week focuses on a different part of the foot and how to work on it using several exercises. By the end of the four weeks, you will learn how to use each part of the foot correctly and become mindful of how to keep them in a healthy alignment and gait throughout the day.
Q: Please explain body sustainability.
A: I came up with mindful intelligence regarding what choices to make to best stay in shape for your body and lifestyle, as I was disillusioned with the fitness world. So many people I was working with were injured during fitness activities. I felt there needed to be a precedent and that Body Sustainability should stand alongside fitness to support people to decide what their best fitness choices were based on their personal histories. For example, why tell the public that walking is the best form of exercise? When I see people with hip, knee or feet injuries walking for their health I flinch. People need to be mindful when they make decisions about what is best for their bodies. Body Sustainability is the place where you can access personal support to decide what makes sense for your body at every age. Body Sustainability helps you choose what fitness activity would be healthiest, or which step-by-step guideline you might need to achieve your fitness goals.
Q: What are the benefits of “The Power Stance”?
A: The Power Stance is a mindful way to help you stand strong on your feet. Once a person learns the Power Stance it becomes a mindful way to shift from an old, unhealthy way of standing into a strong standing position, which supports the entire body with improved posture and better muscle activation from the feet up to the hips and torso.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
A: The Foot Fix was written for everyone, which means it is simple and effective and result-oriented. The book helps you rebuild your feet from the first week. I avoid medical terminology which is often intimidating and demonstrate how easy it is to understand the feet and what you need to do to make them fully functioning. The four-week program helps you focus on what each part does to rebuild the entire foot. By the end, you will have a great deal of knowledge and an ample toolkit to focus on which parts of the feet most need attention, so that your gait, structure and alignment will support your entire body from the ground up to improve your posture and mobility.