Improve your Foot and Ankle Strength and Balance with SlackBlock

[@CyprinusCarpioDiem]

My mother died of cancer about two years ago now, and all the way until her last day she was adamant about living as barefoot as possible. In fact, I didnt wear shoes till I was 11 (and my first pair were moccasins). She was a belly dance teacher and always stressed the importance of moving barefooted to her students and how important it was for balance. Even when the cancer tried to take her legs, she was well balanced and at most needed only a cane.

[@fuckmyego]

your mom sounds like a real character (in a good way)! Sounds like she knew what was up.

[@jayarmstrong]

slackblock review starts at 6:26

[@AbidingHopeMentalHealthCoach]

When my daughter came back from ice skating complaining of weak ankles (something she’s had all her life-her legs sat off center when viewing her from the back, instead of centered over the foot), I bit the bullet and bought one of these from you guys. It now sits out in an open space in the dining room for everyone to use, and she spends a couple minutes before school every day on it.

[@xeroshoes]

We have a customer who plays ice hockey on a national Olympic team. She says she's skating better after wearing Xero Shoes when she's off the ice :-)

[@gofigures9]

He did a sit spin on it and I’m like… that’s not useless at all!!

[@maydanlex]

The first day i received the SlackBlock my 19 year old daughter did a pistol squat on it. I find it challenging and helpful.

[@captaincoyote1792]

You da man, Stephen….you da Man! I love your shoes, love your philosophy….you and Lena have made life better for so many of us. I’m mid-60s male, retired from the military and retired LEO. I adopted minimalist shoes, now going on 4 years ago. I hike, backpack, bike…healthy and active. I know that my balance has improved….thanks so much!

[@xeroshoes]

We love to hear it! Thank you for your support and for the very kind words.

[@felicialally5703]

Looks like a great tool! Have added it to my mental wishlist. It's amazing how balancing really does engage all the muscles in your foot. I walk the curbs (like a 4 year old, I'm sure my neighbours think I'm nuts) to achieve a similar effect. Hopefully can get a slack block, or line in the near future!

[@PawOfRizzo]

LOL. I do similarly, walking the curbs, when walking the neighborhood to maintain foot and ankle strength.

[@Andrew-it7fb]

Doing yoga really helped with my foot strength and balance, particularly tree pose which is on one foot.

[@cooneythatcher]

Thanks for the video. Longtime fan of your shoes, and of being barefoot.

[@egrpv]

Hey Steven, your lega seem to be in good shape! Thanks!

[@jennifers5456]

For those who may not wish to purchase a block, may I suggest considering Yoga postures for balance and strengthening? The Eagle/Garudasana has been especially helpful for my ankles, I've found. My 6 year old grandson added wing motions with his arms, but of course that's optional, lol!!

[@xeroshoes]

I would say that the wing motions are required! ;-)

[@Andrew-it7fb]

Tree pose has been really helpful for me. I'll have to try out eagle.

[@michaelperszon8507]

Awesome! I definitely approve of slacklining for balance, but this looks great for if you don't have any room for one.

[@AbidingHopeMentalHealthCoach]

My coach says this is a little more stable than a slack line, so maybe a good in between for people who aren’t ready for the line or don’t have a place for one.

[@JonathanLovelace]

May peace be upon him ❤️ Thanks for the video 🎥the slack block looks like fun

[@paezwa33]

Does it help with plantar fasciitis or is it contraindicated? And, would you recommend for heavy and long Rucking?

[@xeroshoes]

See if these are helpful: xeroshoes.com/barefoot-walking/plantar-fasciitis-and-walking-barefoot/ xeroshoes.com/barefoot-running-tips/i-woke-up-with-plantar-fasciitis-or-did-i/ xeroshoes.com/barefoot-running-tips/can-cure-plantar-fasciitis-barefoot-running/

[@jaytay9228]

Have you tried diagonal angle with the pinkie side of the foot? Resistance training with these tools are good. Running in a grassy field is probably just as good practice because the dirt underneath is very uneven and bumpy. My feet always feel strong the day or so after I do that. Running through the field barefoot (no man-made soles) is key because it teaches you to react with your foot to the ground and any sort of minor holes or mounds mounds. Reacting to these changes in elevation is easy with barefoot. This lack in skill for reacting to levels would be the main reason for people tripping and falling. Using the field exercises grip with all parts of your foot, in contact with the ground. The uneven surface bumpiness massages your foot and lets you exercise to grip the ground and spread the foot in all directions with your toes and midfoot muscles. So it is more than something like Slackblock, which is a tiny, flat surface. Also, I did not see you use the pinkie side of your foot for the diagonal angle. That said, it can still be useful for people who travel or want to stay indoors and want to keep on exercising their feet quickly because it's a good form of resistance training. I realized an interesting thing. The undeformed foot, with totally spread tendons and bones and straightened toes, requires no muscle use for balancing on one foot, as long as the leg bone is perpendicular to the ankle joint. I repeat, no effort required at all, with perfectly spread out feet. I can't maintain spread out feet because mine are deformed. But when I stretch them manually and straigten my toes, I find that balancing requires little to no effort. So that makes me think how it's possible that there is no way that a proper foot would undergo stress on the muscles during for example a long marathon that you had gone through. This includes the pinkie toes being properly extended. There's something about proper toe balance of the foot that makes it align everything else, all the way to the hips and above, very well.

[@stevensashen6956]

I have... and I've found that having the first 2 toes on the SlackBlock activates more of my foot, especially since those are toes you balance with, not the pinky toe. I agree that running, especially on uneven surfaces in an unparalleled experience. All I can tell you, after 8 years running barefoot on all sorts of surfaces, is that the concentrated work you get with something like the SlackBlock is a great addition and activates your body in ways that running doesn't.

[@Eric3Frog]

Grass and other pre ground matter alerts your feet and nervous system to the impending impact. This allows for preparation and compensation. Even solid rock usually has some unevenness that allows for first contact to prime the foot for full impact.

[@scott-k2k]

It’s amazing how much wear xero shoes strengthens the feet and also has an amazing cascading effect all the way up the body. But then adding slackblock in 2021, even much more strength. When I see people out and about, it’s fascinating to visually see the weakness in their feet… and how it radiates through the whole kinetic chain. There is also the experience of while taking each step in xero shoes, as my foot has continued to strengthen over 2.5 years, a sense of being rooted within the earth.

[@Kingzquestofficial]

I’m curious- does a slack block offer something different than a balance disk would?

[@xeroshoes]

I'd have to see the disk to give a comparison. But one thing the SlackBlock does well is let you train 3 different angles of balance independently: one when your foot is straight on the block, on when it's at an angle (big toe on the block, little toe off the block), and one when you stand perpendicular to the block on just the ball of your foot (the hardest). Plus, you can adjust the difficulty by removing sections of the foam.

[@fruitarian]

The Slack Block costs $62.

[@beetastik8219]

Looks like a great way to roll your ankle

[@xeroshoes]

Actually it's a great way to strengthen your ankles. Since your other foot is near the ground and ready to stabilize you if necessary, the chance of "rolling" your ankle is incredibly low (I've never heard of anyone doing it).

[@beetastik8219]

@@xeroshoes I'm just kidding I have a pair of the yellow high top style shoes and they're great, I love your shoes!

[@Jellylag]

You wanna know what will send your sales through the roof???? Market this for a Genuine purpose every one who drives could benefit from. Ever have one beer at a function and then drive home??? The first thing the officer has you do is walk a line.(great for this). The second test, and even more important, "stand on one foot and hold your other foot out in front of you and count to twenty." With the improved muscles and balance practice you get, you will pass test with no problem. Unless you are drunk, and then you deserve the ticket. This comes from my personal experience.

[@bilaltahir9978]

Is the slackblock available to purchase in the UK?

[@xeroshoes]

XeroShoes.co.uk is owned by an independent dealer (that will change in a few months). Until then, we don't control what's sold on that site.

[@Bryan-ig2zp]

Real Jeff Goldbloom energy.

[@StephenGHubbard]

Awesome! Do you happen to have a discount code? I'd love to get a Slack Block, but it seems a little out of my price range right now. Thanks!

[@xeroshoes]

We don't have any discounts for SlackBlock at the moment. Make sure you subscribe at xeroshoes.com/newsletter/ to hear about upcoming deals.

[@anneconn]

What's the green lumpy square in the background at 6:26? Thanks.

[@xeroshoes]

That's a Rox Mat for foot massage and strength -- xeroshoes.com/shop/foot-care/rox/

[@bilaltahir9978]

@@xeroshoes when is the xero rox mat going to return to stock in the UK?

[@ParaParagon]

how does this compare to a BOSU ball?

[@stevensashen6956]

I like it much better. It's less expensive, takes up less room, and especially with the perpendicular angle, it gives additional ways of working on balance/strength. The BOSU (when used upside down) can have varied amounts of instability (by how much it's inflated), but I've never found my feet working that hard when using a BOSU.

[@ParaParagon]

any word on when this is going to be available through your European distribution channel, or do I have to import it from the US?

[@stevensashen6956]

We don't actually have a European distribution channel. We have independent resellers in the UK and EU. It's totally up to them whether they decide to carry the Slackblock or any other of our products. So, for now, yes, you would have to order from us directly.

[@ParaParagon]

I see, thanks for the explaining.

[@dreamhousehunting]

Slack Block is a lot more expensive than any number of other products. How is it better than, say, a wooden rocker board?

[@xeroshoes]

The SlackBlock will offer more variation in cushion that challenges your balance more than a rocker board.

[@cathyvernon55]

cool

[@prdanpr8299]

Like a woble board

[@stevensashen6956]

Similar, but more dynamic

[@goldhawk83]

He said some very smart things towards the beginning of the video. Then he lost me. The SlackBlock simply just violates the SAID principal.

[@stevensashen6956]

How so?

[@goldhawk83]

Because the SAID principal basically says that we get good at exactly what we practice. For the average person this box is going well past minimum effective load. Also it really doesn’t single out about the vestibular system very well. There are much faster ways to improve balance. If you have any further questions I can be reached at [e-mail] I am a Z-Health Master Trainer. I work with these kinds of things every day. Also on another note. I just ordered some of the Z Trail sandals. I can’t wait to try them out! I’m returning to ultramarathon’s and I am really trying to find that perfect shoe to ultra in. My merrell’s don’t hold up to the distance.

[@lilybee_]

Tyler Daly, what is the best way to strengthen ankles? Im recovering from a break and never want it to happen again!

[@GeorgeLocke]

@@goldhawk83 Do you mean the box is below the minimum effective load? I guess your comment confuses me because it's unclear what "specific" task you have in mind such that the imposed demands of this device fail to produce adaptations.

[@greywolve4553]

People with great ankle strength and balance could also fall since there are myriad situation that could cause us to fall please don't make such cheap claim to promote barefoot shoes. Other then that good advice thank you.

[@stevensashen6956]

I'm not suggesting that having ankle strength prevents falls. Nor am I suggesting that it's possible to prevent all falls in all circumstances. I'm suggesting that balance training can help prevent falls. It's possible to improve balance without affecting strength, though strength is usually improved by any form of balance training. There's quite a bit of research being done balance training at the moment, and it's far from a "cheap claim." Check out Jim Klopman's book, "Balance is Power" at www.slackbow.com/

[@nabranestwistypuzzler7019]

Also, practice falling, plus also height drops, and if you can’t fall on flat ground without getting hurt, that’s just sad.