Many foot-related injuries can be prevented if you follow a few simple strengthening exercises. All you need is a tennis ball and a chair!
The muscles in your feet and lower legs work harder than almost any other in the body. If your feet feel tight, the tension can be carried all the way up your spine, causing more serious aches and pains. Reducing the tightness in the fascia in your feet (the connective tissue of your body) is an effective way to rehabilitate them and increase their endurance. It’s easy to do this at home or when you’re out and about through self-myofascial release (sometimes called SMR).
How Tennis Balls Can Aid Your Feet
It’s been proven that rolling a tennis ball under your feet in specific ‘trigger point’ exercises can work wonders for your health. This cheap and easy form of self-care can even heal bunions, calluses, flat feet, and high arches. It’s also great for your brain and nervous system as it can boost the sensory connections in areas of the feet that have become weakened.
Train Barefoot
Remember that these exercises are best done barefoot and you should begin each session with one foot at a time. Pay careful attention to your breathing and keep your spine as straight as you can while still remaining comfortable. Focus on the exercise and don’t bend over to look at your feet.
These exercises should leave your feet feeling invigorated. For best results, they should be done in the morning or just before going to bed. It’s common to feel some discomfort while trying them out, but you should stop if you ever feel any significant pain. If the pain continues, consult your doctor.
Top 3 Exercises For Healthy Feet
These are our top three exercises to get you walking back to happiness! If you can incorporate them into your daily routine, you’ll be well on the way to maintaining healthy feet for life.
Toe Raises And Curls
This is an excellent all-round exercise for your feet, which would be perfect to wake up your toes in the morning.
1 – Start by sitting up straight on a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
2 – Raise the heels of your feet while keeping your toes on the floor.
3 – Try to hold this position for 5 seconds, then relax and gently lower the heels again.
4 – Repeat this action ten times.
5 – To make the exercise harder, try raising the heels and curling the toes towards you.
6 – Again, attempt to hold the position for 5 seconds, then lower the heels.
7 – Repeat the exercise ten times.
Tennis Ball Roll
This exercise is great for helping to ease pain in your arches, although it may feel awkward at first.While sitting on the edge of a chair, position a tennis ball underneath the toes and balls of the feet (the forefoot).
1 – While sitting on the edge of a chair, position a tennis ball underneath the toes and balls of the feet (the forefoot).
2 – Apply as much pressure as you can on the tennis ball with the foot without it feeling too uncomfortable.
3 – Roll the tennis ball away from the forefoot towards the heel.
4 – Repeat this action five times, then try the exercise with the other foot.
5 – For a more intense exercise, hold the tennis ball under your arch and press down through your forefoot and heel simultaneously.
Big Toe Lift
It’s important to keep a good range of movement in your big toes and this exercise will really help.Sitting on the chair again, place your feet flat on the floor with your toes straight out in front of you.
1 – Sitting on the chair again, place your feet flat on the floor with your toes straight out in front of you.
2 – Focus on the big toe on your left foot and lift it off the floor without moving the other toes.
3 – Hold the big toe up for 2 seconds then lower it again.
4 – Repeat the action five times.
5 – Swap to the right foot and repeat the exercise.
Improving Blood Supply and Circulation
If you can fit in these exercises every day, the muscles in your feet and throughout your body will be stimulated, improving the blood supply and circulation. Your feet will also get a workout as 13 lower leg muscles are engaged as you balance and roll the tennis ball.
