Are sore, achy feet keeping you from putting your best foot forward?
Instead of immediately seeking out extra-cushioned footwear or super-specialized shoe inserts, start with some foot exercises, says Irene Davis, a professor of physical therapy and rehab sciences at the University of South Florida.
"People have these amazing muscles in their feet," Davis says. "They actually have the ability to increase the strength and capacity of their feet, which can help with the pain."
In fact, regularly exercising your feet and ankles has been shown to reduce the risk of injury, prevent and alleviate pain and improve overall foot health, says Dr. Adam Tenforde, an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School.
Foot care experts share six exercises to try at home. Whether you're gearing up for that big soccer game, recuperating from a long day at work or just want the strongest feet possible to avoid trips and falls in the future, give them all a try or start with just one.
Consult with your healthcare provider if you have questions, experience pain or have preexisting foot conditions like bunions, plantar fasciitis or achilles tendonitis.
Exercise 1: Foot doming
This exercise is like doing crunches for your feet. It targets your "foot core," the muscles that work together to stabilize the foot for dynamic movement, Davis says.
In the same way core exercises like planks or mountain climbers are important for total body movement, strengthening your foot core provides stability so the larger muscles that move the foot and ankle can do their job and protect against pain and injury, Davis says.
How to do it: Start in a seated position, Tenforde says. Ground both the heels and the toes while pulling back the ball of the foot to raise your arch. Once raised, squeeze the arch muscles for a few seconds. Hold for two to three seconds for 10 repetitions to start.
Once you've got the hang of it, try the same exercise standing, then slowly move up to 20- to 30-second holds for three to five repetitions to build endurance, Tenforde says.
Foot doming can be practiced daily. Incorporate it into everyday tasks like brushing your teeth or waiting in line at the grocery store, he says.
Exercise 2: Wall stretches
This exercise can be effective for pain relief and increasing blood flow to your feet, says podiatrist Ebonie Vincent. It's especially helpful if you suffer from plantar fasciitis.
How to do it: Stand up facing a wall. Then, wedge the toes of one foot against the wall, with the foot at about a 45-degree angle, keeping the heel on the ground. Place your hands on the wall for support if needed. Slowly begin to bend the knee of that elevated foot and bring your body forward until you feel a stretch in the back of your calf and the bottom of your foot.
Vincent suggests holding the stretch for 30 seconds, then repeating three times on each side, up to three times a day.
Exercise 3: Toe spreads
Did you know you have the ability to spread out your toes as wide as you can spread out your fingers?
If that idea seems wild, it's probably because for many people the range of motion in the toes has been limited by a lifetime of toe-constraining footwear, Davis says.
The lateral stretching of toe spread exercises can help improve your flexibility and motor control, protect against bunion pain and increase foot stability, Tenforde says.
How to do it: Spread your toes as wide as possible and then bring them back to a neutral position. To isolate the correct muscles, it's best not to flex or extend your toes as you go, Davis says.
If you find that tough, try using toe separators, the kind you might use while getting a pedicure. Simply squeeze your toes against them for a few seconds, then stretch as far outside of them as you can for another few seconds.
Try two to three sets of 10-15 repetitions daily. Don't be discouraged if you have limited mobility at first, says Tenforde. Over time, your muscles should get stronger and you should be able to stretch wider.
Exercise 4: Toe Yoga
Don't worry, no miniature yoga mat required here. But like other yoga practices, toe yoga — or toe-ga, as Davis and Tenforde call it — can improve your balance and foot stability by strengthening a number of your toe muscles.
Strong toes are important for the "push-off" function needed to walk or run, among other things, Davis says.
How to do it: Stand with your feet on the floor and lift up your big toe while keeping your lesser toes on the ground. Then, raise your lesser toes while keeping your big toe on the ground.
Do two to three sets of 10-15 repetitions daily, Tenforde says.
Exercise 5: Calf raises
Yep, they're not just for rounding out leg day at the gym. Since they mimic the propulsive phase of walking or running, Tenforde says calf raises are great for strengthening the stabilizing muscles and ligaments of the foot and ankle. But take care: while it might look easy, this exercise is often done wrong, he says.
How to do it: To get the most out of a calf raise, slowly rise up onto the front of your foot by activating your arch and lifting your heel as high as is comfortable. Then, use those same muscles of your arch and big toe to slowly lower the heel back down to the ground.
It's common to roll to the lesser toes and the outside of the foot on your way down, but that works the wrong muscles and can lead to injury, Tenforde says.
Once you've got the right mechanics down, aim for two to three sets of 10-15 reps every other day. Start with double leg calf raises and then move to single leg if you're up for a challenge, Tenforde says.
Exercise 6: Hold hands with your feet
This one is more of a stretch to warm up or cool down — and will make your feet feel happy, says orthopedic surgeon Dr. Erica Rowe Urquhart.
How to do it: Sit in a comfortable seated position. Interlace the fingers of one hand with the toes of the opposite foot and gently massage the bottom of your feet with the thumb of your free hand. Then, gently rotate the foot and ankle to help loosen any tension in the foot and lubricate your joints, she says.
By spending just a few minutes holding hands with each foot at the beginning and end of each day, you can prepare your feet for all the work they'll be doing — and then thank them for all the weight they carried throughout the day. And we could all stand to show our feet a little more care and gratitude, Urquhart says.
This story was edited by Malaka Gharib. The visual editor is Beck Harlan. We'd love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at LifeKit@npr.org.
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