- Watch the video with a set of foot exercises
- Foot exercises that you can do alone
- Foot exercises during the morning gymnastics
- Foot exercises at the gym
Regular exercise of the feet - toes, midfoot and ankles - will prevent deformations and bunions. Exercises stretch and strengthen the foot muscles, eliminate foot pain in people who often wear high heels and support the treatment of flat feet.
Foot exercisesare one of the methods (apart from properly profiled insoles and medical treatments) to keep your feet in good condition.
"Thinking about nice feet, we usually focus on pedicures, and when exercising, we ignore them, because they do not need to be slimmed down. Meanwhile, the feet are the supporting base of our body. Those with a nice shape, slender, with preserved physiological curves are active feet - dynamic ones that ensure fluidity and certainty of gait and stability, ”says Agnieszka Rosińska, physiotherapist from Carolina Medical Center. The muscles that determine the appearance and function of the foot are not only the ankle and its vicinity, but also other parts of the leg muscles that should be consciously exercised. "
Watch the video with a set of foot exercises
Foot exercises that you can do alone
It's best to exercise daily, 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
1. Strengthening the fibula muscles- Fold a small towel into a rectangle the width of a foot. Stand on it with the inside half of your foot, rest the outside on the floor. Lift your foot off the floor so that it is completely parallel to the ground. Raise the other leg - if you have problems with your balance, you can gently lean it against the wall. For a stable posture, you can also use your hands, e.g. on a chair.
2. To strengthen the posterior tibia muscles- fold a small towel into a rectangle the width of a foot. Stand on it with the outer half of the foot, rest the inner part on the floor. Lift your foot off the floor so that it is completely parallel to the ground. Raise the other leg - if you have problems with your balance, you can gently lean it against the wall. For a stable posture, you can also use your hands, e.g. on a chair.
3. Tendon Stretch- sit down and put your right leg over your left, grasp the toes of your right foot with your right hand and straighten them so that you can feel the sole of the foot stretching. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times for each foot.
4. Calf Stretch- Stand lightstraddling. One leg in the front, the other (the so-called back leg). Place your feet flat on the floor and parallel to each other. In front of the leg, bend slightly at the knee (do not cross the toe line with your knee). If you do not feel pulling in your back leg, you can place a few wedge-shaped books under it in front of it (the heel stays flat).
5. Strengthening the short muscles of the footby "spreading out" or "playing the piano". Exercise allows you to loosen the fingers in the shoe.
Massages are also recommended by applying pressure or stroking the sole of the foot more forcefully. They will bring relief to women wearing high-heeled shoes.
Check: Walking in high heels - is it harmful or not? How many calories does it burn?
Foot exercises during the morning gymnastics
In the morning, while still in bed, bring your fingers together and stretch your calf, then pinch your fingers down and tighten your calf. Do not pull too hard so as not to cause your muscles to cramp. Do a series of 5 repetitions back and forth.
Another exercise, and at the same time a way to have a few bonus moments in the bedding, is to roll the sheet with your fingers - a series of 5 repetitions.
See also: Morning gymnastics - a set of exercises
Stretching your calf is very important as it makes your muscles more flexible. After getting out of bed, try to statically stretch your calves (without moving). Exercise your calves alternately in the 5-second stretch and shift mode.
Active stretching is next: one or two times, lift your heel up and down. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
To stimulate the muscles of the short feet and the muscles that keep the ankles in balance, it is worth walking on a cold floor, e.g. terracotta. During such a "walk" you have to start the step from the heel and move to the toes - putting more emphasis on the big toe, and not on the traditional whole foot.
Foot exercises at the gym
When training in the gym, pay attention to the feet: how they are positioned during squats, lunges, jumps or running. For this purpose, we can use all utensils with a soft base, e.g. barefoot, togas or mattresses.
By standing on them with both legs or with one leg, we can practice keeping balance, squat on them, or jump with one leg. After arranging them in layers, walking on such a structure, we practice postural stability.
The most important rule of thumb when doing these exercises is to keep your hips, knees, and feet in line with your toes pointing forward. Otherwise, knees and feet will get knotted.
When we stride, feet place toes outwards, thenknees should be facing the same direction.