foot exercises
Foot Exercises
Foot exercises may be undertaken for several reasons--they could be used for building the muscles in the legs or for alleviating foot and ankle pain. In this following article we will look through certain exercises that will help strengthen your foot muscles, and help deal with the pain.
There are several reasons why foot pain may be experienced. Standing for an extended period of time, for example, is one of the common signs of the same. Other than that, injuries caused due to sports, or twisting and spraining of one's ankles is also known to lead to foot pain. In order to deal with this, certain exercises are prescribed. Let us get into the details of the same in the following sections.
Exercise # 1
Towel stretch is one of the many exercises prescribed for plantar fasciitis. It should ideally be done early in the morning, before you start with your daily chores.
- Take a towel and cover the ball of your foot with it.
- Gently start pulling the towel towards yourself. Make sure that the knee is straight .
- Hold in this position for as long as you can. Release when you feel a tension in the legs. Repeat the exercise 4 to 5 times on both the feet.
- Place a few marbles on the floor.
- Place a glass or a cup at a little distance from the marbles.
- Using your toes, try to lift the marbles from the floor and drop them in the glass.
- It is recommended to do this exercise 8 to 10 times, twice a day.
- Sit on the edge of a chair, such that your feet are placed firmly on the ground and the knees are bent at a 90 degree angle.
- Place a thick towel in front of your feet on the floor and place your feet on the towel.
- Grab the towel with your toes and begin to roll the towel away from you.
- When you are rolling the towel, five different muscles at the bottom of the feet are worked. This will help in bringing a functional arch to your feet.
- Repeat 2 to 3 times a day.
- Stand next to a wall so that you are well supported.
- Lift one foot off the floor and pull the foot up, as though you are trying to touch your toes to the front of the shin bone.
- Hold in this position for as long as you can.
- Slowly come back to the starting position and repeat the exercise 10 times on both feet thrice a day.
- Do not wear any footwear or socks when you are doing this exercise.
- Start walking on the tip of your toes for about 20 seconds per set.
- It is recommended you do 8 to 10 sets per session and repeat the exercise twice a day.
- This is especially useful for people who stand for an extended period of time or walk a lot.