Flower Mound Online News

Ok, here’s a useless little exercise/test to see if you can outsmart your foot, but you can’t. It’s programmed into your brain. We’ve heard this test comes from an orthopedic surgeon, but would guess it actually comes from some think tank somewhere that sits around with nothing better to do than come up with these silly little exercises. Read on.

1. WITHOUT anyone watching you (they may think you are GOOFY)….) and while sitting where you are…at your desk, in front of your computer, or at the kitchen table, lift your right foot off the floor and start making clockwise circles.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number “6″ in the air with your right hand.
Your foot will change direction. (If it doesn’t we don’t know what to tell ya)!

One Think Tank theory is that this effect is due, in part the normal difference in height between hand and foot.That difference, in conjunction with gravity and the earth’s rotation, is enough to affect the body’s highly sensitive limb rotation mechanisms. If you eliminate this difference (for instance,by lying down and holding your right leg and arm at about the same height),your right foot will be unaffected. However, if you reverse this height difference (for instance,by positioning your right leg above your head and your right hand nearer the floor), the effect will be even more marked. This is probably because,with this posture,your head is in a silly position too.

Now if you believe that nonsense, there’s no need to read on.

Theory 2 makes a relationship between brain motor control and extremities. Probably closer on track.

Theory 3 ties it into a deeply ingrained reflex, such as those that allow a dog or horse, for example, to move all 4 legs in perfect sync when running, thus similarly helps us out in other situations. Perhaps without those coordinations, we might have trouble maintaining our balance, or even walking.

FYI, it’s very easy to do with opposite sides of your body, ie left foot and right hand, or right foot and left hand!