Your toddler uses their feet a lot; constantly busy, never seeming to stop! Their little feet do an incredible job of holding their body weight and taking them where they want to go. We love a few fun facts, so here are some about your toddler’s wonderful feet (and yours, too).
- Each foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints and over 140 muscles, tendons and ligaments. These hold the foot together and allow it to move in various ways.[1]
- There are approximately 250,000 sweat glands in the feet!
- Drying feet well after washing, especially in between the toes, helps reduce bacteria. This helps keep the skin healthy and able to fight off infections (and good drying reduces the stench from all those sweat glands too!)
- Feet are natural shock absorbers.[2]
- Having feet measured helps keep them healthy. Wearing properly fitted footwear is very important to foot health.[2]
- Trimming your toenails straight across helps prevent ingrown toenails.
- Your feet may just be the most ticklish part of your body. There are thousands of nerve endings and some of them are close to the skin.[3]
- Feet are happiest when they are bare. Walking barefoot improves body awareness,[4] and toes are free to extend and spread.
References:
[1] Foot (Anatomy): Bones, Ligaments, Muscles, Tendons, Arches and Skin. (2017) Available online at: (biologydictionary.net).
[2] Feet: How Your Feet Work - And Three Steps For Keeping Them Healthy. (2009) Harvard Health Publications. Available online at: Harvard Health Publications - Harvard Health
[3] Biggers. A. (2019) Ticklish Feet: Causes and What Makes Some People More Sensitive. Healthline. Available online at: (healthline.com).
[4] Wanjek. C. (2019) Barefoot Walking Gives You Calluses That Are Even Better for Your Feet Than Shoes, Study Suggests. Live Science. Available online at: Live Science