Use It or Lose It: How Modern Life is Disconnecting Us from Our Bodies

"Use it or lose it." We’ve all heard this phrase before—usually in the context of memory or muscle—but its application to human movement and health is far more profound than many realize.

Over time, we’ve lost access to natural movement patterns, ranges of motion, and basic physical functionality. Most of us are walking around with only a fraction of our body’s original capacity—and we don’t even realize it. Why? Because we've stopped using what was once innate. Instead, we’ve begun to outsource our body's natural functions to technologies that promise comfort but often deliver long-term dysfunction.

Technology That Replaces Instead of Supports

One of the most concerning trends in modern life is the way mass-market technology has subtly removed our body's need to function naturally.

From overly cushioned chairs to gadgets that reduce daily physical activity, and perhaps most notably—from highly engineered footwear with built-in arch support— modern footwear created environments and tools that encourage stagnation instead of function.

Yes, technology can help, but when it's designed to replace the body’s natural mechanics instead of support them, we begin to lose what we don’t use.

The Foot: A Natural Work of Engineering

Take the foot, for example—an incredible structure made up of 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. At the heart of its function is the ARCH, an evolutionary masterpiece designed to absorb shock, collapse slightly on impact, then rebound like a loaded spring to propel us forward.

But modern footwear often includes:

• Stiff soles

• Excessive cushioning

• Artificial arch support

Rather than enhancing the foot’s ability to function, these technologies take over. As a result, the muscles in the feet atrophy. The arch loses its spring. The toes get cramped. And the foundation our entire body rests on becomes weak and unstable.

The Feet Are the Roots of the Body

Imagine your body like a tree. The feet are the roots.

• When the feet are strong, the roots reach deep. The body is supported from the ground up with a stable foundation, capable of moving freely and efficiently.

• When the feet are weak, it’s like planting a tree in shallow soil. The foundation is compromised, and the entire structure above it becomes unstable. Over time, it will lean, crack, and potentially collapse.

This weak foundation doesn’t just cause foot discomfort — it leads to a cascading chain reaction of dysfunction throughout the body: collapsed arches, knee pain, hip misalignment, poor posture, spinal issues, and more.

Reclaiming Our Natural Movement

Most people today only have access to 10%–20% of their body's potential. That isn’t because we lack strength, intelligence, or willpower. It’s because we’ve become disconnected from how our body was designed to move.

Unfortunately, popular fitness programming and training modalities often exacerbate this disconnection. We train muscles in isolation, sit for hours a day, and rarely move through our full range of motion. We forget how to squat, climb, balance, breathe fully, and use the ground beneath us.

But the good news?

Everything we’ve lost—we can rebuild.

With mindful movement, intentional training, and better design, we can nurture a deeper connection to our body. We can enhance performance, reduce pain, and lay a solid foundation for lifelong health.

Why I Design for Function—Not Replacement

As a designer, this concept of use it or lose it profoundly inspires my work.

I don’t believe innovation should replace your body's natural abilities. Instead, it should support and enhance them. Products—especially footwear—should honor human anatomy, empower movement, and strengthen the body rather than weaken it over time.

This mindset is at the heart of functional design. Not for aesthetics alone. Not for quick fixes. But to create tools that respect the intelligence of the human body and nurture its ability to thrive.

Final Thoughts

We are born with everything we need to move well, feel strong, and live fully. The problem isn’t that we’re broken—it’s that we’ve stopped using what we have. We’ve allowed habits, technology, and disconnection to take over.

But it’s not too late.

By reconnecting with our roots—literally through our feet—and embracing the principle of use it or lose it, we can rebuild a stronger, more connected foundation for movement and life.