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FOOT STRENGTHENING EXERCISES FOR RUNNERS TO AVOID FOOT PAIN OR INJURIES

 

Strength training workouts for runners often focus on the major muscle groups in the upper body and lower body such as the quads, hamstrings, glutes, calf muscles, shoulders, arms, back, and core muscles.

While strengthening the lower body muscles promotes optimal biomechanics for running, strengthening the foot muscles that support the arch of your foot, maintains healthy plantar fascia tissue, and allows for strong propulsive push-off from the big toe.

 

How Many Muscles In The Feet?

 

The foot is one of the most complex structures in the human body because it is an intricate arrangement of 33 joints, 26 bones, and over a hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments that work together to absorb impact forces, support our weight, and propel our body forward when we run and walk. 

 

When we run, our feet are subjected to forces approximately 2-3 times our bodyweight, and fast runners take approximately 1,000 steps per kilometres. 

Therefore, many runners deal with foot pain after running.

Some common foot injuries in runners are metatarsal stress fractures, or stress fractures in other bones of the foot.

 

Others may involve connective tissues, for example, plantar fasciitis, and extensor tendonitis, and in addition, it is also common for runners to foot pain and foot injuries to foot muscles.

Running long-distance can cause muscular damage from overuse to flexor muscles of the foot and can temporarily flatten the arch.

Incorporating strength training exercises for the calf, shin, ankle, and foot muscles can help prevent foot injuries by building strong feet, optimizing biomechanics for running, improving overall foot health, and strengthening the arch for good running form.

 

THE BEST FOOT STRENGTHENING EXERCISES FOR RUNNERS

 

Here are some of the best foot strengthening exercises for runners and best ankle strengthening exercises for runners:

 

1.     Single-Leg Balance

 

One of the easiest ankle strengthening exercises for runners is the single-leg balance exercise. 

This exercise strengthens the small muscles in the lower leg that control the ankle as well as the peroneal muscles and posterior tibial tendon that cross down under the bottom of your foot or along the arch of your foot to help maintain your arch.

 

  • Remove your running shoes.

  • Stand on one leg with a relatively straight knee. 

  • Hold for 30-60 seconds. 



 

2.     Heel Walking 

 

Heel walks are one of the best ankle and shin strengthening exercises.

Heel walks simply involve lifting your toes up and walking forward on your heels, using the muscles in the front of your lower leg. 

This can help reduce the risk of shin splints and is a great way to prevent imbalances between the calf muscles on the backs of your lower leg and the shin muscles along the front.

 

  • Walk forward on your heels for 20 or 30 meters.

  • Then, rest and walk back on your heels.

 



 

3.     Toe Walking

 

Toe walking strengthens the lower leg muscles (calf muscles) and Achilles tendons.

 

  • Press up onto the balls of your feet and walk forward for 20 or 30 meters, contracting your calves.

  • Rest and then perform another set of toe walking back to your starting position.

 




4.     Toe Curls

 

One of the benefits of foot strengthening exercises for runners is that some of these foot exercises can be performed throughout the day, at home, outdoor or even at work.

Toe curls are a great example of an easy exercise to increase foot strength that doesn’t take much mental work or time.

 

  • Remove your shoes and socks.

  • Use the small intrinsic muscles of your feet (toe flexors) and along the bottom of your foot to curl your toes in and scrunch your foot (toes towards the heel along the bottom) as if trying to make a fist with your foot.

  • Pause and hold the scrunch for 2-3 seconds.

  • Relax and repeat for 10 repetitions. As your foot strength improves, gradually increase the number of reps per set.

  • Repeat on the other foot or do toe curls on both feet.

 



 

5.     Toe Spreads

 

Another simple foot strengthening exercise for the intrinsic muscles of the feet is toe spreading.

Toe spreading may help strengthen the abductor hallucis longus, one of the key muscles involved in preventing bunions.

Toe spreads also help prevent tightness in the nerves and vasculature in the ball of your foot, reducing the risk of injury.

 

  • Remove your shoes and socks. 

  • Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.

  • Spread your toes apart as wide as possible trying to see a good amount of space between the big toe and second toe and all of the small toes.

  • Pause and hold the spread for 2-3 seconds.

  • Relax and repeat for 10 reps.

 



 

6.     Calf Raises With Big Toe Extension

 

Performing calf raises with your heels hanging off the step maximizes range of motion.

 

  • Remove your running shoes and socks.

  • Raise up onto your toes as high as you can, pressing all the way through the big toe. 

  • Then sink down, dropping your heels towards the stair below as deep as possible to get the full range of motion in your ankle.

  • Perform 10-20 reps.

 


 

7.     Resistance Band Toe Flexion and Extension

 

You can use a light resistance band to strengthen the toe flexors and toe extensor muscles.

 

  • Remove your running shoes and socks.

  • Sit on the floor with your legs straight and toes up.

  • Place a resistance band coming across the top of your toes.

  • Pull your toes towards your shin (toe extension). 

  • Perform three sets of 12 to 20 reps per foot.

 



 

Make sure to do a quick warm-up for the lower leg and foot muscles before starting your foot exercises, such as some heel-to-toe walking and ankle circles.

 

As A Runner You Need To Focus On Good Foot Strengthening Exercises To Support Good Nice Runs, And To Avoid Getting Foot Injuries Or Foot Pain!

Enjoy!

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