20 Exercises & Foot Health Tips

Keeping your feet in shape can help avoid injuries and prevent foot conditions, such as plantar fasciitis. But what does that mean exactly? How does one do this? Below is a list of exercises and foot health tips. Follow the instructions and tips to begin your journey to healthy and happy feet.

Exercises

1. Toe raise, point, and curl
   This exercise strengthens all parts of the toes and feet.
   1. Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
   2. Leaving the ball of your feet touching the floor, raise your heels.
   3. Hold for a few seconds, then lower your heels to the floor.
   4. Next, point your toes so that just the tips are touching the floor.
   5. Hold a few seconds, then lower your heels.
   6. Lastly, curl your toes under and lift your heels.
   7. Hold for a few seconds, then uncurl your toes and lower your heels.
   8. For maximum results, do each exercise at least 10 times.
2. Big Toe Stretch
   1. This stretch should relieve pain in the big toe and help it keep a wide range of motion.
      1. Sit in a chair and rest one foot on the opposite thigh.
      2. Using your hands, gently stretch your big toe up and down, and side to side.
      3. Continue the stretch for 30 seconds.
      4. Repeat on the other side.
3. Toe Spread
   1. This exercise helps improve toe muscle control.
      1. Sit down with your feet flat on the floor.
      2. Lift your toes up and widen them as much as you can without straining.
      3. Hold for a few seconds, then relax.
      4. Repeat 9 more times.
4. Pickup Game
   1. This exercise increases muscle strength of the underside of the toes and feet.
      1. Begin with several small objects like marbles, dice, or bouncy balls and an empty bowl. 
      2. Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground.
      3. Using just your toes, pick up the objects and place them in the empty bowl.
      4. Empty the bowl and repeat using the other foot.
5. Walk on Sand
   1. Walking on sand stretches and strengthens the calves and feet. It also provides a good workout because it's more physically demanding compared to walking on a sturdy, flat surface.
      1. Go to a place with sand (beach, sand volleyball court, desert, park, etc.).
      2. Walk barefoot as long as you can without straining your muscles. (be careful of rocks, thorns or anything that could cause injury to your feet). 
      3. Slowly increase time and distance. 
6. Ball Roll
   1. Rolling our feet over a tennis ball or golf ball can help relieve arch pain.
      1. Start by sitting in a chair with one foot on top of the ball.
         1. If you don't have a ball, a solid water bottle can be used as an alternative.
      2. Put pressure on the ball and move your foot forwards and backwards. If it's painful, ease up on the pressure.
      3. Continue this movement for a few minutes, then switch feet.
7. Achilles Stretch
   1. The Achilles tendon is the strongest tendon in the body. It connects the heel and calf muscle and can be easily strained. You can work this out by stretching.
      1. Face a wall and place your palms about chest height on it.
      2. Step one foot back, while keeping the knee of that foot straight.
      3. Bend the knee of the opposite leg and push your hips forward till you feel a stretch.
      4. Hold for 45 seconds, then switch feet.
      5. Repeat two more times on each foot.
8. Ankle Roles
   1. This exercise helps their range of motion.
      1. Sit in a chair.
      2. Lift one foot and twirl it around in a circular motion, clockwise for 30 seconds.
      3. Then twirl it counterclockwise for 30 seconds.
      4. Switch feet and repeat.

Foot Health Tips

1. Before exercising, warm up your muscles.
2. Wear proper footwear that is supportive and is structurally sound while participating in any physical activities.
3. Replace worn out shoes.
4. Start out slow when exercising, then progress at your body's pace.
5. To avoid injury, listen to your body and don't push yourself too hard.
6. Give yourself the proper amount of rest time to recover.
7. Seek treatment for any injuries.
8. Trim Toenails
   1. Cut your toenails carefully and regularly with nail clippers. To avoid ingrown toenails, cut them straight across.
9. Shop for shoes in the afternoon.
   1. As the day goes on, your feet swell. So, it's recommended to shoe shop in the afternoon when your feet are at their biggest. That way they're guaranteed to be comfortable all the time.
10. Limit the use of high heels.
    1. High heels increase the amount of pressure put on the balls of the feet, which can lead with pain. Wearing heels that are higher than a couple inches on a regular basis can damage your feet.
11. Change your socks daily.
    1. Copper Cloud Socks are great for eliminating odor and wick moisture, which can help with conditions like athlete's foot.
12. Inspect your feet weekly for any swelling, discoloration, blister or anything out of the ordinary. 
    1. For instructions on how to inspect your feet, check out our blog post How to Do an At-Home Foot Inspection.

These exercises and tips should start you off on the right foot for your foot health journey. Now all you have to do is put your healthy and happy feet in a pair of Apex shoes!

*If you experience a lot of pain or find anything out of the ordinary, it may be time to visit your doctor. 

Sources:

Medical News Today

Harvard Health Publishing