Standing Strong: Bunions and Arches
Why Your First Metatarsal Matters in Movement
When we talk about weight-bearing in Pilates, you’ll often hear cues like “press through the ball of your big toe” or “feel the tripod of the foot.” These aren’t just poetic prompts—they reflect something much deeper about how our feet are designed to function.
One of the most important (and often overlooked) structures in your entire movement system is the first metatarsal head—the rounded bone just behind your big toe. It’s small, but it plays a big role in balance, power, and long-term joint health.
Let’s dig into why this part of your foot evolved to carry so much responsibility—and how to work with it, not against it, in your Pilates practice.
The Design of the Foot: A Marvel of Engineering
Your foot isn’t just a base—it’s a dynamic structure with 26 bones, 33 joints, and hundreds of muscles, tendons, and ligaments working together to support every step, jump, or stretch. Among these, the first metatarsal head is a key player.
Unlike the other metatarsals (those long bones that run through the forefoot), the first metatarsal is thicker, stronger, and more stable. That’s no accident. It evolved that way because it has to transmit the most force—especially during push-off in walking, running, and almost every upright movement.
This bony structure works in tandem with the medial longitudinal arch—the inside arch of your foot—to act like a spring, absorbing impact and releasing energy with each step.
Force Transmission: From Ground to Core
When you stand, walk, or move through a Pilates exercise, force travels up from the ground through your feet—and ideally, it starts at the first metatarsal head. This is the front anchor of what we call the foot tripod:
First metatarsal head (ball of the big toe)
Fifth metatarsal head (ball of the little toe)
Center of the heel
When weight is evenly distributed across this tripod, your foot can function optimally—supporting the arches, reducing strain on the ankles, knees, and hips, and improving balance and control.
But when we avoid or collapse through the first metatarsal, problems can start to stack up:
Flat arches
Over-reliance on the outer foot (supination)
Poor balance
Increased load on the knees or low back
Pilates and Proprioception: Training Smarter Feet
Pilates offers a unique opportunity to train this awareness.
In exercises like Footwork on the Reformer, Standing Splits, or Front Lunges, we often cue weight into the ball of the big toe. That’s not just to keep you aligned—it’s to retrain your proprioception (your body’s sense of where it is in space), helping your brain and body connect through the foot. The footbar of the Reformer, an inherently small surface, forces you to place your foot with precision to execute exercises.
Weight-bearing through the first metatarsal helps re-establish the medial arch and activates the deep foot muscles, which support:
Better posture
Stronger balance reactions
Greater control in full-body movements
Reclaim the Foot-to-Core Connection
Reconnecting to your first metatarsal isn’t just about your feet—it’s about your entire kinetic chain. When your foot transmits force properly, that energy flows upward, allowing your legs, hips, spine, and core to respond with coordination and efficiency.
So next time you're in class and you hear a cue like “press through the big toe,” know this:
You’re not just refining your form.
You’re activating one of the most powerful, intelligent connections in the human body.
Want to feel the difference?
Ask your instructor to help you explore weight-bearing through your feet in your next class. And if you’re curious about how footwork affects your whole body, don’t hesitate to reach out—we love helping you dive deeper.