Many people experience pain in their feet or ankles at some point. Strong feet can help relieve this pain and improve overall health and flexibility. What to do about foot pain? You can relieve foot pain with exercises. Regular exercise and stretching of the feet and ankles can help the muscles provide the best possible support. These exercises can also improve foot mobility and help sufferers stay active for as long as possible.
Most foot exercises are simple and do not require complicated equipment. You can do them at home or at the gym as part of a regular exercise routine. We will show you belowthe best exercisesagainst foot pain.
Sand walking to relax your feet
Walking barefoot in the sand is a great way to stretch your feet and calvesand to strengthen. This is generally good exercise as the soft nature of the sand makes walking more physically demanding.
- Go to a beach, volleyball court, or other place with sand.
- Take off your shoes and socks.
- Walk as long as possible. Try to increase the distance slowly so as not to overstress the muscles in your feet and calves.
Raise, point and bend your toes
Relieve foot pain with exercises: This exercise consists of three stages and strengthens all parts of the feet and toes.
- Sit upright in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Keep your toes on the floor and lift your heels. Stop when only the balls of your feet are on the ground.
- Hold this position for 5 seconds before lowering your heels back down.
- In the second phase, lift your heels and point your toes so that only the tips of the big and second toes touch the ground.
- Hold the position for 5 seconds before lowering your heels.
- In the third step, lift your heels and roll your toes inward so that only the tips of your toes touch the floor. Hold this position for 5 seconds.
- Build flexibility and mobility by repeating each stage 10 times.
Stretching the big toe to relieve pain
It is important to keep the big toe within a wide range of motion. Thefollowing exerciseis also three-stage and is used to stretch and relieve pain in the toes caused by wearing tight shoes.
- Sit upright in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Place your left foot on your right thigh.
- Using your fingers, gently stretch the big toe up, down, and to the side.
- Hold the big toe in each position for 5 seconds.
- Repeat this exercise 10 times before switching to the other foot.
Toe spread to improve muscles
Toe spread can improve control of the toe muscles. Shecan do the exerciseperform on both feet at the same time or alternately, depending on what you find more comfortable.
- Sit on a chair with your back straight and your feet lightly on the floor.
- Spread your toes as far apart as possible without tensing them. Hold this position for 5 seconds.
- Repeat this movement 10 times.
Once you've built up your strength, you can try wrapping a rubber band around your toes. This increases resistance and makes the exercise more challenging.
Relieve foot pain with exercises: toe curls
Toe curls train the flexor muscles of the toes and feet and improve overall strength.
- Sit upright in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Place a small towel on the floor with the short side toward your feet.
- Place the toes of one foot on the short side of the towel. Try grabbing the towel between your toes and pulling it toward you. Repeat this exercise five times before switching to the other foot.
- To make this exercise more challenging, try weighing down the other end of the towel with an object.
Pick up marbles to strengthen your muscles
Picking up marbles can strengthen the muscles on the bottoms of the feet and toes.
- Sit upright in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Place an empty bowl and a bowl of 20 marbles on the floor in front of your feet.
- Using only the toes of one foot, pick up each marble and place it in the empty bowl.
- Repeat this exercise with the other foot.
Toe stretch for heel pain
One can relieve the foot pain with exercises by practicing toe stretching. This is helpful in preventing or treating plantar fasciitis, a condition that causes pain in the heel when walking and difficulty lifting the toes.
- Sit upright in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Place your left foot on your right thigh.
- Pull your toes up towards your ankle. You should feel a stretching sensation on the bottom of your foot and heel.
- Hold the position for 10 seconds. While stretching, massage the arch of your foot to relieve tension and pain.
- Repeat this exercise 10 times on each foot.
Roll a golf ball to relieve arch pain
Rolling a golf ball under your foot can help relieve arch discomfort and relieve pain associated with plantar fasciitis.
- Sit upright in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Place a golf ball - or another small, hard ball - on the ground next to your feet.
- Place one foot on the ball and move it by pressing down as hard as possible. The ball should massage the bottom of the foot.
- Do this for 2 minutes and then repeat with the other foot.
- A frozen water bottle can be a beneficial alternative if suitable balls are not available.
Achilles tendon stretch for strong heels
The Achilles tendon connects the heel to the calf muscles. It can be easily overstretched, but ifyou keep them strong, this can help with foot, ankle or leg pain.
- Stand facing a wall and raise your arms so that your palms are flat against the wall.
- Pull one foot back, keeping the knee straight. Then bend the knee of the other leg.
- Keep both heels flat on the floor.
- Push your hips forward until you feel a stretch in your Achilles tendon and calf muscles.
- Hold the position for 30 seconds before switching sides. Repeat the exercise three times on each side.
