ALL THOSE ARMADAS ARE KILLING MY FEET!
One of the most difficult things to go through when first you start doing capoeira is to deal with the pain of grinding your feet on the floor. Most people are used to prancing around in orthopedic shoes and have no idea how cold or hard the floor can be. The shock can be a bit harsh, but here are few tips to getting past the initial aches and any annoying blisters.
1. SORE FEET MUSCLES?!
Getting sore legs is par for the course in Capoeira. Everything from your abs down will be on fire the first few times you go to class. However, your feet muscles can also suffer from intense soreness. That’s because the feet, just like any other part of your body is made up of a bunch of muscles that break down when pushed to their limits. The best way to heal these sore feet is to stretch them out after practice and move them around on your days off to promote blood flow.
2. TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES.
It might seem counterintuitive to take them off your feet after you just went through an intense practice, but spending as much time as you can without shoes on is one of the best ways to prevent your feet from getting sore or suffering from blisters. And if you are suffering from blisters, one of the best ways to heal is to give your poor feet some fresh air. Also, going without shoes will strengthen your feet muscles while you’re not training and toughen your feet, making them more resistant to blisters.
3. AAAGHHH…! I GOT A BLISTER
Just like if you were to lift weights or learn the guitar, Capoeira can also give you some growing pains, but fear not, your feet will grow stronger. There will always be a time when you push your feet to their limit, but just remember that consistency and patience are your best tools in staving off blisters. If you do get a blister, you can pop them, but if you’re the squeamish type, this might not be the best option for you. Give your boo boo some time to heal and you should be dandy in a couple days. Some home remedies include castor oil overnight and aloe gel.
At least your not getting cauliflower ear like in Jiu-jitsu, just saying!
4. STAY AWAY FROM SNEAKERS & MINIMALIST SHOES
Many shoes advertising themselves as giving you the experience of being barefoot without actually being barefoot, but there is no replacement for being barefoot. And that’s not just me talking, that’s your proprioceptive system talking. This is the system that handles your coordination and keeps you from being clumsy. If you wear shoes, you’re limiting the amount of stimuli this system gets, making it harder and harder for your body to stabilize itself during all those awesome capoeira moves.
CONCLUSION
Capoeira will give you some aches and pains on your feet, this for sure. But wear that blister like a badge of honor, because the reason you’re walking on the sides of your feet isn’t because you forgot how to walk, it’s because you’re learning something awesome that in the long run is going to be worth that one day when you winced at every step! And if you already started training without shoes, then that’s good! You’ve taken your first step into a larger world. – Obi-wan Kenobi
Great article and tips, thank you! I really agree with your statement “It may seem counterintuitive to take off your feet after an intense practice.” I actually have thought about taking them off after class once, but I realized that I needed them to walk home.
Ha! A small typo. but yes, it would be very counterintuitive to take off your feet. Glad you enjoyed the post.