My Desire for Symmetrical Legs Despite Clubfoot
From a young age, my goal was always to build an athletic, healthy-looking body. For years, I focused primarily on achieving a muscular physique with great proportions and symmetry. It wasn't until recently that I realised my slight obsession with symmetry stemmed from the fact I could never truly achieve it.
This impossibility came down to my clubfoot—also known as talipes—and the surgery I had at 13, which left me with reduced calf muscle development. This used to bother me, but I've since accepted it's something I simply cannot change. During my pursuit of the body I aspired to have, I tried gaining as much weight as possible to build and repair muscle.
My Mistake: Trying to Gain Weight with Junk Food
I was under the impression that I could quickly add muscle mass, particularly to my clubfoot calf. Since my appetite has never been great, I convinced myself that eating large amounts of calorie-dense, unhealthy food was acceptable.
I consumed huge quantities of pasta, burgers, milk, ice cream, cheese, and cakes. While I did put on muscle, it came with significant fat gain. My body, joints, and mind felt lethargic and sluggish. More critically, the increased weight took a serious toll on my clubfoot and ankle.
I'm sharing this for two reasons: first, the poor diet clearly affected my mental and physical wellbeing. But second—and most importantly for those with talipes—the weight increase made a dramatic difference to my clubfoot pain levels.
How a 'Small' Weight Gain Affected My Clubfoot
My natural baseline weight sits around 147lbs (I'm 5ft10, BMI of 20). At this weight, exercising leaves my body feeling athletic and lean. When I decided to bulk up, I set a target of 175lbs—an increase of 28lbs that remained within the NHS's "healthy" BMI range.
Just two months into my weight gain, I had reached 168lbs. As my weight increased, so did the pain and stiffness in my clubfoot. Simple tasks became significantly harder:
- Walking around London or university became uncomfortable
- Standing for extended periods caused pain
- Running, sprinting, or sharp movements during football felt like my clubfoot was under extreme pressure
- Recovery time increased dramatically
- Inflammation became more frequent
These issues were directly related to the weight gain combined with unhealthy eating. As I mention in my [clubfoot story], university partying also played a role during this period.
The frustrating reality? I hadn't even reached my 175lb target. My body was telling me clearly that I was pushing my clubfoot too far. Despite remaining in the NHS's "healthy" weight category, it was simply too much for my talipes to handle.
The pain I experienced lasted only two months. Imagine putting that stress on a clubfoot for six months—or years. If I had pushed to 14 stone to seriously bulk up, I can't imagine how difficult even daily tasks would have become, let alone running or lifting weights.
The Worst My Clubfoot Has Ever Felt—and What the NHS Suggested
At 21, my body and clubfeet were in the worst condition they'd ever been. Between the poor diet and frequent partying at university, I was struggling badly.
After numerous visits to doctors and hospitals, their conclusion shocked me: they recommended fusing my clubfoot at just 21 years old.
Having been active my entire life, that was never going to happen.
Not once did they suggest I improve my diet, work on flexibility and mobility, or lose some weight—even though I was clearly bulkier than usual. Instead, they prescribed painkiller after painkiller, hoping I wouldn't return. They masked the pain rather than addressing the underlying causes.
With guidance from my parents, I dismissed the doctors' suggestions and began working on my clubfoot myself. That decision led me to where I am today: more active than ever. For more details, see our clubfoot pain management strategies.
My current routine:
- 10,000+ steps daily
- Weight training at 5:30am every morning
- Cycling and tennis every other day
- Mobility and flexibility work throughout the day while working at my laptop
My clubfoot is in the best condition it has ever been.
Why People with Clubfeet Should Consider Maintaining a Healthy Weight
I wanted to share this because I've read countless posts in clubfoot Facebook groups and forums where people describe their current situations—most of them negative. People explain how pain, discomfort, or limited mobility in their clubfoot has severely impacted their quality of life. Some have even faced amputation or fusion surgery.
Granted, some people may have done everything possible to look after their bodies. However, I suspect many have not.
That's why I detailed my relatively modest weight gain earlier—increasing from 140lbs to 168lbs while still within the NHS's "ideal" BMI range.
That extra 28lbs was definitely too much for my clubfoot to handle consistently. I noticed aches and pains after long days walking around university or standing for extended periods. Running became significantly harder, with the extra weight crashing down on my foot with every stride.
To put this in perspective: find a 1kg bag of rice, flour, or sugar in your cupboard. Now imagine carrying nearly 13 of those around constantly. That was the weight I had gained. You might also find our adult clubfoot management helpful.
Considering I was still within "ideal" NHS weight guidelines, it's sobering to think how many extra kilograms others might be carrying that their clubfeet simply cannot sustain—not just for overall health, but for the longevity and function of their talipes.
A Message to Everyone Living with Clubfoot
If you're overweight or know you could be doing more to support your clubfoot health, please take action. As people born with what's technically classified as a "disability" (I genuinely dislike that term—clubfoot has never stopped me excelling at anything) we should feel even more motivated to care for our bodies and treat them with respect.
Use the negative stories you read as motivation to ensure that won't be your future. With time, effort, and some basic equipment, our clubfeet can handle whatever we ask of them.
What Should You Do Next for Your Clubfoot?
I've created an entire section on this website dedicated to building flexibility, strength, and mobility in your clubfeet. The workouts don't need to be gruelling—they just need to be consistent. You can even do them while sitting in front of the TV each evening.
[Explore the Clubfoot Workout Section →]
Check out the blog archive for content on:
- Losing weight with clubfoot
- Building strength in your affected leg
- Increasing flexibility and endurance
- Improving overall clubfoot health
I'll be adding new content regularly. As always, I'm here to help—contact me through any of my platforms. My goal is to reach as many people with clubfoot as possible and help build healthier, stronger clubfeet together.