Feet

Feet are our foundation, neglecting them can set us up for injury. Many people experience foot or ankle pain at some point. By keeping the feet strong, a person can alleviate soreness, and improve overall health and flexibility.

Like the rest of the body, feet adapt to the conditions they encounter most frequently. If you spend most of your time in shoes on flat surfaces, you’ll have flat, shoe shaped feet! Shoes have weakened our feet and contribute to a loss of their full function. This catches up to a person at some point. When our feet aren’t able to do their job properly, other parts take over, and sets us up for overuse injuries. We are linked from the feet all the way up to the head. A foot problem can lead to headaches, neck pain, low back pain etc.

Especially during the warmer months, people wear nonsense shoes such as flip flops. If you have problems with your feet, you should at least wear a sandal with a heel strap.

Take a look at your feet. Are your toes all squished together? Are they rigid? Can you spread your toes? Do you have foot issues such as plantar fasciitis? Hammer toe? Bunion? Other foot problem?

It is easy to improve foot strength in only a few minutes a day. All those bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments make a great shock absorber, loco motor and structural support and are a major source of sensory input. Our feet need to move just like the rest of our body! Most foot exercises are simple and require no complicated equipment. They can be done at home or in the gym as part of a regular exercise routine. Regularly exercising and stretching the feet and ankles can help to ensure that muscles are providing the best support. These exercises may also increase the range of motion in the feet, keeping a person active for as long as possible.

So if rebuilding healthy feet is so easy and so beneficial, what are we waiting for?  Let’s get started with a few to restore natural function in the feet.

** Ball Roll: Release tension

Roll a lacrosse ball or other type of ball under each foot. This will unravel tension in the feet and mobilize them.

 

** Toe Flex & Extend: Improve flexion and extension

Standing or seated in chair, feet flat on floor, raise only the big toes, then raise the other four toes while keeping the big toe flat on floor. Repeat.

 

** Big Toe Stretch: Mobility

While seated in a chair, place ankle on opposite knee and use fingers to stretch big toe forward, back & side to side.

 

** Toe Spread: Strengthening

Spread your toes apart as much as you can, keeping them as even as you can. Once this feels easy, you can use a rubber band to add tension.

 

** Toe Curls:  Strengthening

Use toes to bring a small towel in towards you. Once this feels easy, you can add weight to the end of the towel.

** Marble pick up: Strengthening

Use toes to pick up marbles.

 

Barefoot: You must ease your way into spending more time barefoot. Expose your feet to the grass and other types of terrain and surfaces. If you’re spending time with your feet up while drinking your coffee or reading, whatever, take your shoes& socks off and wiggle your toes. DO NOT rush into spending too much time too soon going barefoot especially if you are dealing with a foot problem. If you’ve ever had your foot in a cast, the same atrophy occurs in the feet when we keep them bound in shoes.  And just like you aren’t able to start running as soon as the cast comes off, you have to work at it gradually. Regaining strength and restoring your foundation will take time.

Build from the foundation.  You’re only as strong as your weakest link. If you don’t care properly for your feet, you’ll sacrifice speed, strength and power.  It’s an easy process to rebuild, so kick off your shoes and move those feet!

Consistency is Key.