When we think about our health, what set of muscles do you think of as an important maintenance area? Leg muscle groups on leg day? Abductor muscles for stability and core strength, and balance? Shoulders and neck for more relaxation and comfort? Many health enthusiasts focus on these body segments when talking about overall health and strength training, but one of the most important, interconnected muscle groups can often be overlooked, even when that muscle group is responsible for our movement, and comfort, and can easily be overworked.

Let’s talk about all the muscles in your feet, and how to take care of them, just like any other muscle group you work at the gym.

There are nineteen intrinsic foot muscles. Just like any other body part, these muscles need to be strengthened. Many forms of active lifestyles necessitate resilient feet, and we don’t want to be waiting for pain or injury to be the driving force to take care of them.

There are ways to increase foot strength that you can incorporate into your daily routine today or work a few days into your weekly workout rotation. In the health and exercise community, we promote the idea of being proactive rather than reactive, so here are four exercises to increase your foot strength and start your journey to healthy, strong feet.

Toe Splay

1. Take off any shoes and socks.
2. Sit straight on a chair with your feet resting comfortably and completely on the floor.
3. Spread your toes as much as you comfortably can. Hold this position for 5 seconds, and then release.
4. Repeat this exercise 10 times.

Toe Raise, Point, and Curl

1. Sit straight on a chair with your feet resting comfortably and completely on the floor.
2. Raise your heels until only the balls of your feet and toes are touching the floor. Hold this position for 5 seconds.
3. Point your toes down and continue to raise your foot until only the tips of your big and second toes are touching the floor. Hold this position for 5 seconds.
4. Lift and curl your toes inwards, so only the tips of your toes are touching the floor. Hold this position for 5 seconds.
5. Repeat each position 10 times.

Towel Toe Curls

1. Sit straight on a chair with your feet resting comfortably and completely on the floor.
2. Lay a small towel on the floor in front of the body, with the shortest side of the towel facing the feet.
3. Place the toes of one foot on the short side of the towel. Try to grasp the towel between the toes and pull it toward yourself, using your toes to scrunch the towel towards you. Repeat this exercise five times before switching to the other foot.
4. To make this exercise more challenging, you can add weights to the opposite end of the towel for various difficulties.

Short Foot Exercise

1. Stand on one foot, and evenly distribute your body weight over the plantar foot, which is the center of the base of your foot that connects your toes to your heels.
2. Slowly begin to spread your digits. Make sure all toes are still in touch with the ground.
3. Now focus on your big toe and press the tip into the ground. Watch the arch of that foot increase as the ball of your foot lifts from the ground.
   • If your other digits are curling under, try to straighten them, and then re-engage them.
4. Hold this position for about 10 seconds and repeat this 5 times.

The great thing about strengthening your feet is it takes minimal time and effort as well as little to no equipment, so it’s easy to work it in between meetings while relaxing after a long day at work or at any point in a regular workout routine.

These exercises are a great starting point for foot health. Still, if you are already suffering from foot pain associated with activity, a better place to start is by talking with a health practitioner to make sure these exercises are right for you, so you can have a customized plan back to foot health.

Monica Kinney is the program manager of the Adult Fitness Program in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University.  Adult Fitness offers exercise opportunities for employees of CSU as well as community members while providing hands-on learning experiences for health promotion students. To learn more, see the Adult Fitness Program website.

 

Sources

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320964#for-pain

https://www.thepodiatrygroup.com/2021/11/19/10-best-exercises-for-your-feet