“Your foot is incredibly complex with 26 bones, more than a dozen muscles, and countless nerve endings,” says Brian Kinslow, PT, DPT, owner of Evolve Flagstaff. It both serves as a flexible shock absorber at each step, a strong lever to propel you as you walk or run, and is a rich source of sensory information that informs the brain about where the body is in space.
Research shows that during running, the foot and ankle complex supports up to three or five times your body weight. When jumping, the amount of force varies depending on the landing style (for example, two legs versus one) and the height of the jump, but generally, you’re looking for a minimum of four to five times your body weight. In either case, assuming you weigh 150 pounds, at least 350 pounds of force through your foot and ankle!
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If that’s not enough, the foot and ankle complex navigates the force and motion in any direction, whether straight forward and backward (sagittal plane), side to side (frontal plane), rotational (transverse plane), or a combination thereof. . At any and all of these moments, the foot and ankle absorb the pulling force of the weight, and as they take off, they release that force and stabilize the foot and ankle in the air.
Why is it important to strengthen the foot and ankle complex?
Considering the amount of force that goes through the feet and ankles, the type and angles of the force handles, and the fact that we use them a lot, it’s no wonder that foot and ankle injuries are among the most common. injuries in general, active.
In addition, the foot and ankle of the leg are affected by the rest of the complex. When your foot hits the ground, an impulse of force travels through it and upwards. The better the foot and ankle absorb the force, the less impact is transmitted to the shins, knees, and upper body.
Each of these factors contributes to the unique biomechanics of the foot and ankle complex. For example, the foot is separated into three regions, the forefoot (say the ball of the foot), the midfoot (from the front of the ankle bone to the beginning of the ball of the foot), and the hindfoot (from the back of the ankle bone to the heel). , and purpose.
For these reasons, foot and ankle health is a key part of overall physical health. For Dr. Kinslow, “foot and ankle health is an essential part of orthopedic health. It’s something to consider with most patients and clients, even if they don’t have foot or ankle pain. So don’t neglect your feet and ankles!”
If you haven’t thought of foot and ankle as the rest of your body “training”, fear not, as you probably are in most of the cases. To fix that, here are five research-proven exercises — with progressions, too — to improve foot and ankle strength and function.
5 foot foundation and ankle exercises
1. foot and ankle eversion with a bandage
Sit with your bare feet stretched out straight before you on the ground. Wrap the end of a long resistance band around the ball of your left foot. Let it pass under the bottom of your right foot (as you stand on it), then hold both sides with your right hand. Bend the left fingers towards your face, so that you rotate them outwards and bend them inwards. That’s one rep. Start with two sets of 15 repetitions per leg, and build in increments of five until you reach three sets of 25 reps. At that point, make the exercise more difficult by slowing down and taking the count of five at the start of each time.
2. Toe curls towel
Sit barefoot on a chair and place a bath towel (folded in half) on the floor in front of you. Place a book or exercise mat on the opposite end of the towel, and place both feet on the end of the towel closest to you. Keeping your feet flat on the floor with the towel underneath, pull the weight closer to you, curling your toes, the towel to shake the tabs. That’s one rep. Start with two sets of 15 repetitions and build in increments of five until you reach three sets of 25 reps. At that point, make the exercise more difficult by wrapping a resistance band around your fingers and against the resistance of the calisthenics.
3. Sit on the heel and raise to the toe
Begin by sitting in a chair with bare feet shoulder-width apart and prone on the floor. Lift both heels off the ground while keeping the balls of your feet on the ground, and then slowly lower your heels back. Reverse the movement of the feet and step forward leaving the ground while the heels remain on the ground. That’s one rep. Start with two sets of 15 repetitions in a seated position and build up in increments of five until you reach three sets of 25 reps. At this point it is more difficult to do the exercise while standing in the same position. The last step is moving forward to this standing position, balancing on one leg at a time.
4. Short foot
Start sitting in a chair with your bare feet flat on the floor. Without flexing your toes, raise the arches of your feet while keeping the ball of your foot and heel on the ground. Start with two sets of 15 repetitions in a seated position and build in five increments until you reach three sets of 25 reps. At this point they do the same standing exercise harder. The last step is balancing on one leg at a time.
5. Libra
Stand on one leg for 30 seconds then repeat on the other side. Alternate two legs three times. Once you can easily complete that, repeat the progress on a soft surface like a pillow. For an advanced training level, repeat the steps above and let your eyes wander!
This program helps build core strength, mobility, balance, and feedback into your foot and ankle complex to better cope with the high demands of everyday life, activities, and sports. Give it a shot and once you get the hang of it, you can even integrate it into your daily workout. Your feet and ankles will thank you!
