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foot stretches
Body Part:
Feet
Equipment:
Knee Hero
Level:
Beginner
Foot Stretches for Strong, High-Performing Healthy Feet
Our feet need to be the ultimate high-performing team. For most of us, our days begin by putting our feet flat on the ground, followed by the heel-toe-heel-toe-heel-toe pattern of putting one foot in front of the other. The act of raising your foot, lowering your heel, rolling along the bottom onto your toes in order to move is a sequence we humans go through anywhere from 4,000 to 16,00 times each day. It’s so natural we rarely, if ever, think about it.
The act of taking a step happens so effortlessly because our feet have been expertly designed. Our feet are made up of 26 bones, 19 muscles, 10 tendons, 107 ligaments, and 33 joints that all go to work when we step forward, to the side, or backwards. And our feet work hard; they are a firm foundation for our body, supporting its entire weight and carrying it when we move. Thanks to our legs’ trusty appendages, we can stand, walk, run, skip, and jump. Our feet absorb the shock of these movements and ensure a smooth landing when we take a leap. All that, and our feet are home to the strongest tendon in our body: the Achilles tendon.
We demand a lot of our feet, which is why they are prone to aches, pains, cramps, and inflammation. To help you keep your feet at the top of their game, we’ve created a routine of easy-to-follow foot stretches that relieve pain. All you need is the Knee Hero.
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Take me to the shop.Regularly Stretching Your Feet Is Beneficial to Your Overall Foot Health.
Our routine can help:
- ward off cramps,
- increase flexibility and range of motion,
- minimise the risk of injuries,
- improve blood flow and circulation,
- relieve muscle tension, foot and ankle pain,
- absorb shock more easily,
- reduce swelling,
- flat feet and sunken arches,
- from developing tendonitis and plantar fasciitis,
- maintain strong feet, which in turn decreases the stress placed on your joints.
It also helps with leg pain.
Our video starts off with an introduction to the foot. You’ll discover how tension builds up, how your arches work, and the pros and cons of shoe inserts. If you’d like to start with our exercises, simply skip ahead to 02:55. You’ll find step-by-step exercise instructions below the video.
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Your Personal Pain Scale
While you are exercising, pay attention to your personal pain scale. This is your body's gauge that measures the intensity at which you exercise from 1 to 10.
One would be like pushing your finger into your forehead. You'd feel a little pressure, but that's it. You've gone above a 10 if your breathing becomes irregular or you feel yourself tense up. For each exercise, aim for an intensity between 8 and 9. If you find that you are experiencing pain that's higher than 9, reduce the intensity so you can continue exercising without pain.
foot exercises
Stretch 1: Toe Muscles Flexion Stretch
- Sit on a chair.
- Lift your right leg and place your ankle on top of your left knee.
- Grab the toes of your right foot with your left hand and pull your toes back.
- You’ll feel a stretch along the bottom of your shin into the top of your foot.
- Hold for about 1 minute.
- Reach your left hand under your toes and pull them towards your knee.
- You’ll feel a stretch along the bottom of your foot.
- Hold for about 1 minute.
- Slowly release your foot and repeat the stretch on your left foot.
Stretch 3: Calf Stretch
For this stretch, you’ll need the Knee Hero.
- Step onto the Knee Hero with your right foot so that your toes can grip the edge of the tall side.
- Step forward with your left foot.
- Bend your left knee until you feel a stretch along your right calf muscles into your heel.
- Intensify the stretch until you reach between 8 and 9 on your personal pain scale and hold for about 2 minutes.
- Slowly come out of the stretch and repeat on the other side.
Get a Leg Up on Foot Health
Whether your feet ache from being on them all day or you want to keep them in tip-top shape, perform our stretching routine 6 days a week and leave one day for rest. Your feet will feel great from your big toe to your heel.
Feet in Focus: Overpronation
Do your feet roll inward when you walk? This is called overpronation. You can help with overpronation by walking mindfully. When you take a step, walk along the outside edge of your feet.
Fight Pain with Information.
Subscribe to The Pain Relief Advisor
Sign up for our free newsletter and discover how to manage your pain yourself. Every two weeks, we’ll deliver follow-along videos and articles to your inbox.
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