Our feet are often forgotten, but they are our body’s point of contact to the ground, bearing our body weight, drive force and locomotion. The foot is a very complex structure. It has 33 joints, 26 bones, and more than a hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments. 

They take a beating every day, so it is important to take care of them.

Here are a few foot exercises to strengthen your feet and prevent debilitating foot problems.

ARCH UPS

As a significant part of your foot, the arch of your foot is primarily responsible for absorbing shock, bearing weight and propulsion during walking and running. Keeping your arch strong and healthy can prevent serious injuries such as plantar fasciitis.

To do this exercise correctly, focus on mind-muscle connection.

  1. Ground through the pads of your feet and heel

  2. Contract your arch by pulling the heel and toes together

  3. Focus on mind to muscle connection

TOE DISASSOCIATION

Your toes are really important!

We often overlook the importance of our toes, but they are probably one of the hardest working parts of our bodies. They play a crucial role in maintaining balance and support, as well as propulsion while walking and running. Most of us do not have very good toe mobility from a lack of use.

Toe disassociation exercises will improve toe mobility, strength, as well as mind-body connection for better balance and function.

  1. Sit in a chair with feet flat on the floor.

  2. Lift the big toe up and push the other four toes into the ground.

  3. Then push the big toe into the ground and lift four toes up.

TOE STRETCH

This toe stretch is one that everyone could benefit from! It helps to give your toes mobility by creating space between each toe, which feels great after spending a lot of time on your feet. 

  1. Glide your fingers in between the spaces of each of your toes. It may help to have some moisturizer on your hands.

  2. Use your hand to move your foot, alternating between up, down and side to side to really capture the full range of motion.

  3. If you are really tight between your toes, just use the tips of your fingers and progress from there.