Build Strong Feet and Improve Balance

Our feet are the most used & abused part of the body. The arches of the feet provide us with flexibility, help to absorb shock, distribute the weight of the body, and assist the feet in adapting to surface changes when walking, running, & climbing. Lack of proper foot and/or arch strength & flexibility can contribute to fallen arches, ankle, knee, hip, back, shoulder, & neck problems, and potential pain or injury. Good balance and body control is necessary for daily living activities as well as sport performance. Our feet play an important role in maintaining posture and health and strong feet will be less likely to suffer injury.

If you are looking to strengthen your biceps you do some curls with weights but how do you strengthen the muscles in your feet? There are some simple exercises that you can do at home that will make a big difference.

1. Place your barefoot flat on the floor and simply curl your toes by pressing the ends of your toes into the floor. This helps to strengthen the metatarsal arch and long muscles (lumbricals) of the forefoot.
2. Try to pick up a pencil or towel with your toes. This will help to strengthen the flexors and also calls on other intrinsic and extrinsic muscles to perform this task.
3. Spread your toes apart as far as you can. You can use toe separators to help train your toes to spread. The toes should be as flexible as our fingers.
4. Attempt to move only your great toe medially, away from the rest of your toes. This will strengthen the abductor hallucis which is the most difficult muscle to activate. Don’t be surprised if you can’t do this one right away.
5. Calf raises. Standing with your feet flat on the floor, shoulder width apart, raise up onto your toes. This will activate all of the flexors, specifically the tibialis posterior and perineals. If you have stability issues please hold onto the wall while you do this exercise.
6. Holding your leg out in front of you spell the alphabet in the air with your feet. This will help to improve range of motion.

Today's Tip

Intense exercise in humid weather puts you at risk of heat cramps. Stay well hydrated and stop if it gets too uncomfortable.

Proper way of walking

Aside from looking less than graceful, a sloppy gait is a waste of energy and a sure way to injure yourself. By delegating some of the load to your abdominal and hip muscles, you can walk faster and more efficiently, reduce your risk of injury, and eliminate much of walking's joint-jarring impact. With fewer pains and strains, you might even walk farther. And that means you'll burn more calories.

If you think about how you walk and you know the correct way, you'll simply do it better. This walking-awareness checklist will get you started.



Pull your navel toward your spine. Your abdominal muscles will form a girdle of stability, and your movements will be more controlled (you'll have great abs, besides). As you walk, let your arms swing, but try not to swivel your torso—its job is to support movement.

Consciously engage your butt and thigh muscles. As you prepare to take a step, focus on your trailing leg, creating a crease where your butt and thigh meet by lifting your cheek and tightening your hamstring. Continue to use those muscles as you bring that leg forward. Notice how your inner thigh muscles keep your knee pointed forward and stabilize your leg.

Walk with your toes pointing forward. "Turning your toes out can stress the knees," Tripp says. When you walk, allow your heel to strike first, then push off from the big toe, flexing at the ankle.

Relax your shoulders. Hold them back and down, and resist the tendency to hunch or shrug.

Hold your head high. Loping forward headfirst stresses your neck and throws your gait off balance. To distribute the force of gravity over your body along the natural curves of your spine, walk as if you're suspended by a string attached to the top of your head. Or just recall that old charm-school drill of walking while balancing a book on your head.

Sure, it takes work to imagine, and place, your body into a perfect walking posture. But in the two months since I attended the workshop, I've been surprised at how aware I am of the way I move and stand. I haven't revolutionized my walk, but for now, it's nice to know I'm moving in a healthier way. 

Dorothy Foltz-Gray