Did you know that each foot contains 26 bones? That’s 52 in total! So they actually make up a quarter of all the bones in your entire body. It’s mind-boggling when you think about it!
As well as all those bones, there are also two types of muscle in your feet. The first type is an extrinsic muscle, which comes into the foot from your lower leg, and then there are the four layers of muscle under the foot that allow us to move correctly and with ease.
We all put our feet under a lot of pressure, whether we mean to or not! But, just by wearing shoes day after day, our foot strength isn’t what it should be. You can try some simple exercises to strengthen your feet – so simple you don’t even need to take your shoes off!
Here are some simple exercises to do each day, you don’t even have to take your shoes off!
Exercise One
Stand up, shoes on or off. Look straight ahead and not down at your feet. Lift your toes off the ground and splay them. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat 5 times each day.
Exercise Two
Stand up, shoes on or off. Look straight ahead. Scrunch your toes up so that the ball of your foot comes off the ground. Hold for five seconds, then relax. Repeat this five times. Be careful, to begin with, it may bring on a bit of cramp. If you do get some cramp under the foot, simply grasp your toes with your hand. Then gently pull upwards toward the leg. This will stretch out that cramp.
Exercise Three
You may need to hold on to the back of a chair for balance, to begin with. Then, stand up, shoes on or off and look straight ahead. Raise your heel off the ground as if you’re going onto tiptoes but keep the balls of your feet on the ground. Your heel should be 5cm (2 inches) off the ground. Hold for 5 seconds, then lower heel toward the floor but, not quite touching, hold for another 5 seconds. Then raise the heel higher again to 5cm off the ground. Hold for five seconds. Repeat the whole exercise 5 times.
These simple exercises help strengthen the foot and lower leg muscles. You can do them anywhere. In a shop queue, at the petrol station or home. Try them – your feet will thank you for it!
Home » Exercises To Try For Fitter Feet
Exercises To Try For Fitter Feet
Home » Exercises To Try For Fitter Feet
Did you know that each foot contains 26 bones? That’s 52 in total! So they actually make up a quarter of all the bones in your entire body. It’s mind-boggling when you think about it!
As well as all those bones, there are also two types of muscle in your feet. The first type is an extrinsic muscle, which comes into the foot from your lower leg, and then there are the four layers of muscle under the foot that allow us to move correctly and with ease.
We all put our feet under a lot of pressure, whether we mean to or not! But, just by wearing shoes day after day, our foot strength isn’t what it should be. You can try some simple exercises to strengthen your feet – so simple you don’t even need to take your shoes off!
Here are some simple exercises to do each day, you don’t even have to take your shoes off!
Exercise One
Stand up, shoes on or off. Look straight ahead and not down at your feet. Lift your toes off the ground and splay them. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat 5 times each day.
Exercise Two
Stand up, shoes on or off. Look straight ahead. Scrunch your toes up so that the ball of your foot comes off the ground. Hold for five seconds, then relax. Repeat this five times. Be careful, to begin with, it may bring on a bit of cramp. If you do get some cramp under the foot, simply grasp your toes with your hand. Then gently pull upwards toward the leg. This will stretch out that cramp.
Exercise Three
You may need to hold on to the back of a chair for balance, to begin with. Then, stand up, shoes on or off and look straight ahead. Raise your heel off the ground as if you’re going onto tiptoes but keep the balls of your feet on the ground. Your heel should be 5cm (2 inches) off the ground. Hold for 5 seconds, then lower heel toward the floor but, not quite touching, hold for another 5 seconds. Then raise the heel higher again to 5cm off the ground. Hold for five seconds. Repeat the whole exercise 5 times.
These simple exercises help strengthen the foot and lower leg muscles. You can do them anywhere. In a shop queue, at the petrol station or home. Try them – your feet will thank you for it!
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