Do you have flat feet? Are you afraid the arches in your feet are getting lower and lower over the years? Have no fear – here are 3 great exercises you can do in less than 3 minutes a day to help prevent fallen arches.
Fallen arches often happen because there is a weakness in the intrinsic muscles of the foot (aka the internal foot muscles, local to the foot itself) – not muscles we typically “work out”. Here are 3 exercises to start trying to work on strengthening these muscles. These exercises may be very hard at first and you may need to use your hands to assist you until you get a little stronger and more coordinated. But, if you keep working at them every day for just a few minutes, you will see a significant improvement in strength and stability.
1) Toe Swapping– Start with your foot flat on the floor with equal pressure on your heel, the base of the big toe, and the base of the little toe. Try to lift up the big toe while keeping the other 4 toes pressed into the floor. Hold for 5 seconds and then try to switch them. Flatten the big toe down into the floor and try to lift up the 4 small toes. Don’t let your whole leg roll in and out as you swap back and forth between the big toe and the small toes. If you are struggling with this movement, use your hands to help the toes up or down and gradually work to where you need no assistance.
