Introduction:
Your feet bear the weight of your entire body, acting as the foundation for your posture, balance, and overall well-being. However, they are often neglected when it comes to daily exercise routines. In this blog, we'll introduce 10 effective foot health exercises designed to improve function, dexterity, mobilisation, and balance. We also provide a list of tools needed for these exercises and recommend a foot health training programme in a table format, including the number of repetitions and detailed instructions on how to perform each exercise.
Exercises and Tools:
Toe curls Tools: towel or cloth Description: Strengthen your toes and improve dexterity with toe curls.
Calf raises Tools: none Description: Strengthen your calf muscles and improve foot stability with calf raises.
Marble pick-ups Tools: marbles and a bowl Description: Enhance your toe dexterity and mobilisation with marble pick-ups.
Ankle circles Tools: none Description: Improve your ankle mobility and balance with ankle circles.
Arch lifts Tools: none Description: Strengthen your arches and improve foot function with arch lifts.
Toe spreads Tools: none Description: Increase toe flexibility and dexterity with toe spreads.
Heel walks Tools: none Description: Strengthen your foot and ankle muscles with heel walks.
Toe taps Tools: none Description: Improve foot dexterity and coordination with toe taps.
Plantar fascia stretch Tools: none Description: Stretch and mobilize your plantar fascia with this exercise.
Achilles tendon stretch Tools: none Description: Stretch and strengthen your Achilles tendon for better foot function.
Recommended Foot Health Training Programme:
Exercise | Repetitions | Description |
---|---|---|
Toe curls | 10-15 | Place a towel or cloth on the floor. Sit down with your feet flat on the towel. Curl your toes to grip the towel, then release. Repeat. |
Calf raises | 10-15 | Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Slowly raise your heels off the ground, then lower them back down. Repeat. |
Marble pick-ups | 10-15 | Place a few marbles on the floor and sit down with a bowl nearby. Use your toes to pick up the marbles one by one and place them in the bowl. |
Ankle circles | 10 each direction | Sit or stand, lifting one foot off the ground. Rotate your ankle clockwise, then counterclockwise. Repeat for the other foot. |
Arch lifts | 10-15 | Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Slowly lift the arches of your feet, keeping your toes and heels on the ground. Lower and repeat. |
Toe spreads | 10-15 | Sit or stand with your feet flat on the ground. Spread your toes apart as far as you can, then bring them back together. Repeat. |
Heel walks | 30-60 seconds | Stand tall and lift your toes off the ground, walking forward on your heels. Continue for the desired time, maintaining balance. |
Toe taps | 10-15 | Sit with your feet flat on the ground. Quickly lift and lower the tips of your toes while keeping your heels on the ground. Repeat. |
Plantar fascia stretch | 10-15 | Sit with one leg crossed over the other. Grasp your toes and gently pull them towards your shin. Hold for a few seconds, then release. Repeat for the other foot. |
Achilles tendon stretch | 10-15 | Stand facing a wall, placing your hands on the wall for support. Step one foot back, keeping your heel on the ground and your leg straight. Lean forward, feeling the stretch in your calf and Achilles tendon. Hold for a few seconds, then release. Repeat for the other foot. |
Conclusion:
Incorporating these 10 foot health exercises into your daily routine can help improve your foot function, dexterity, mobilisation, and balance. With just a few minutes each day, you can pave the way towards stronger and healthier feet. Don't forget to listen to your body and adjust the intensity of the exercises as needed. As you progress, you may find that your feet feel more comfortable, and you experience fewer foot-related issues. Keep up the good work, and enjoy the benefits of healthier, more functional feet!
They particularly shine when we move in ways that require us to know precisely what’s going on under our feet. That really applies to yoga.
Yoga instructor Amy Mercado only discovered Vibram FiveFingers fairly recently and can’t stop wearing them. We asked her to share some flows that are both perfect for cooling down after exercise or an early morning stretch. In fact, both of these flows are ideal to help improve your posture so you can move better all the time.
Watch the video below and read Amy’s notes so you know how to do each exercise safely and effectively.
Flow #1
Thread The Needle:
Begin on all fours, distribute your bodyweight evenly as you inhale and lift your right arm to open and rotate your body which will open your right side with your head and eye following your arm (gently contract right shoulder back as you rotate).
Then exhale and thread your right arm under your left side.
Repeat the movements for your left arm and then gently rest your body weight and hold position, lengthening your left arm out with an inhale exhale.
Melting heart pose/ Puppy Pose:
From a kneeling position, inhale and walk your arms out (maintain soft bend in elbows and lift your bum up).
Exhale and melt your heart towards floor, gently resting your forehead or chin on/towards the mat.
Chest, shoulder and tricep opener #1:
Inhale into kneeling position then exhale and bend both elbows.
Inhale again and press your palms lightly together.
Exhale and send your thumbs towards your upper back whilst your hips move lightly toward your heels.
Chest, shoulder and tricep opener #2:
Inhale - Tuck in your toes, coming into kneeling position (knees shoulder width apart).
Exhale - Lift your chest, opening arms out to bent position at a 90 degree angle.
Inhale - Lightly contract and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Exhale - Push your hips forwards (squeeze glutes to protect lower back) and open your chest.
Inhale - Back into kneeling position
Exhale - Hands back to heart space
Flow #2
Downdog:
Lightly press your hips to sky (soft bend in your knees)
Inhale - Gently lift right leg whilst evenly distributing your body weight through your whole body.
Exhale - bending knee to open your hip
Inhale, Exhale as you circle leg to open your hip. Make 3 circles
Inhale - Stepping right leg behind left side and sit your glutes (bum) to the floor
Exhale - Press hips to sky and extend right arm up/behind into Wild Thing
Inhale - Transition your glutes to the floor then step your right foot outside your right hand and lower your left knee to floor or hover.
Exhale - Press lightly into hands and lift your chest and chin into Jaguar
Inhale - Step your left foot outside your left hand
Exhale – Drop your glutes towards the floor as you lift your chest and crown of the head
Inhale - Bring your hands together in front of your heart whilst pressing bodyweight into your heels (your heels may need to lift) into Yogi Squat
(You’ll need quite a bit of flexibility to nail the Yogi Squat so don’t be disappointed if you can’t make it all the way down at first attempt).
Exhale - Come onto back with your knees shoulder width apart
Inhale - Walk heels as close to glutes as possible
Exhale - Elevate hips up, pressing bodyweight into feet, bring hands under whilst walking shoulders under back into Bridge
Inhale/exhale - Drop hips to reset
Inhale - Option to repeat or come into full Wheel. Palms to mat behind shoulders
Exhale - Press hips up to sky
(Again, the Wheel is a tricky move to master and may take some practice).
About Amy.
Amy Mercado is a passionate Yoga & Holistic Fitness Instructor, Breathwork and Meditation Teacher and Lifestyle Mentor.
She’s been sharing the life-changing benefits of yoga and fitness for over 13 years through classes, workshops, festivals, private and corporate sessions, and has taught all over the globe including the UK, New York, Mexico & Israel.
Give her some love by following her on Instagram at @themercadomethod or visit www.themercadomethod.co.uk
She’s wearing a pair of grey KSO Eco’s in the video. Check them out here.
]]>Commonly people who do lots of running come across tightness in their hip flexors, hamstrings and calves. This routine addresses all of these areas as well as helping you with hip and upper leg mobility. It will challenge your core too.
Watch the video below and read the notes so you know what you will need to do in order to do each exercise safely and effectively.
How to do the workout
These movements are designed to flow into one another so move slowly through each transition and spend as long as you like in each pose. Between 5 and 10 seconds should be plenty. Then feel free to repeat the sequence a second time.
Childs Pose
What's it good for? This basic Yoga stretch is great for opening your spine and hips. If you go back to this position at the end of the workout you may find it easier to do than at the start.
How to do it.
Table Top
What's it good for? This adds a little weight to your arms, shoulders and wrists as well as helping you to activate your core. It will help with flexibility in your toe joints too.
How to do it.
Downward Dog
What is it good for? This is a classic Yoga pose that brings so many benefits. You will feel this stretching everything from your lower back right down through your glutes, hamstrings and calves.
How to do it.
Runners Lunge
What is it good for? This is a great exercise to improve hip mobility, balance and you may find it harder than you think. You'll especially feel this stretch your hamstrings on the front leg and your hip flexor on the back leg.
How to do it.
From your down dog drop your hips so your body is parallel with the floor. At the same time bring one leg forward bending at the knee until your foot is flat on the floor next to your hand and outside your shoulder. Try to do this whilst keeping both hands flat on the floor.
If this movement is too hard you can drop to your knees first, get your foot in place and then lift up again.
You will feel this in the hip flexor on your back leg and the hamstrings on your front. By slightly moving your body weight forward or back you will be able to increase the stretch where you need it the most.
Dragon Fly
What is it good for? This will increase the tension in your hips while working on your balance (core) and flexibility through your spine and shoulders.
How to do it.
High Plank
What is it good for? This is a classic core activator. Use your glutes and upper back here too and that will really help you to remain stable.
How to do it.
Knee Tuck
What is it good for? Adding in a little instability in the plank position will further help your core to engage and this knee tuck acts as another great hip mobiliser.
How to do it.
We hope you enjoy giving this workout a go. Please let us know how you get on. You’ll find this workout will feel much better in a pair of Vibram FiveFingers like the KSO-Evo’s Alison is wearing in our video. Good luck!
In order to avoid illness, injury or health problems, check with your doctor before beginning any fitness program. By following any fitness and health advice you do so at your own risk.
Barefoot Junkie, our affiliates and/or associate companies will not be responsible for any injury or harm you may experience as a result of following our articles, videos or information provided.
]]>This workout is perfect for barefoot shoes too as the exercises focus heavily on balance, agility and using supporting muscles like your glutes (in your bum) and your core.
Watch the video below and read the notes so you know what you will need to do in order to do each exercise safely and effectively. We’ve given you a few options too so you can make this workout more or less challenging.
How to do the workout
There are five exercises in this workout (one for each finger). You can put the exercises together like this:
How to do each exercise
Hip Bridge
What are they good for? This one helps you to activate the muscles in your bum (gluteus maximus). If you sit down a lot, these muscles can become lazy so this is a perfect way to start. With your glute muscles fired up they are more likely to work better in the more complex exercises to follow.
How to do them. Start with your feet and back flat on the floor and your knees bent. Your heels should be close enough to your bum so you can reach them with your fingers.
Lift your hips high off the floor by squeezing tour glute muscles as hard as you can. Then interlace your fingers underneath, push your chest up and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Make sure you don’t arch your back.
Think about how this feels at your feet too. If you are pushing equally through your whole foot your knees will remain above your ankles. This will help you to activate your glutes.
If you feel this exercise in your hamstrings try pushing your bum a little closer to your feet.
The harder version uses your hands on the floor behind you. Make sure you point your fingers away from you and, again, move your hips closer to your knees if you feel this in your hamstrings more than your bum.
Ice Skater
What are they good for? This exercise encourages you to push yourself off the floor with your glutes but this time you are using each muscle on its own (rather than all your bum together). At the same time you’ll be stretching the muscles on the inside of the opposite thigh and adding a slight twist to your torso which will start to fire up the muscles in your core.
How to do them. Step out to the side bending one leg and keeping the other straight.
Then reach down towards the floor with the opposite hand towards the foot on your bent leg.
This exercise is more about the bend in your knee than reaching for the floor so get your hips as low as possible. The more you bend the harder your glutes will have to work in order to push you back up. However if you lean forwards too much in order to reach the floor you are more likely to feel this in your lower back.
You can make this exercise a little more aerobic by adding in a jump as you move from one leg to the other.
Hand reach
What are they good for? This exercise is much harder than it looks. It teaches your core to do exactly what it was designed for, stabilising your spine by making you unstable. Your glutes (already nice and warm from the previous exercises) will come in handy here to help keep your hips still.
How to do them. Start facing the floor in a high plank position with your feet wider than your hips and your hands close together. So your limbs form a tripod. Make sure your body is straight from the back of your shoulders to your heels. A good way to check this is with your hands. If they are higher than your shoulders then your bum will be up in the air.
Your toes should be bent too – much easier to do in a pair of Vibram FiveFingers.
Slowly and without moving your hips take one hand off the floor and around to the small of your back, put it back and then repeat with the other hand.
You will need to do all of this without moving your body or twisting your hips. Only your arms should move. If you feel your hips are moving try squeezing your glute muscles as you take one hand off the floor. Your left glute should activate and you lift your left hand and vice versa.
If your hips are still moving you can try taking your feet further apart and slow down your pace. The slower you are the more time you will spend on one hand and the more work your core will have to do.
Squats
What are they good for? These are the daddy of functional exercises. Every time you sit down and stand up, you’re squatting. Learning to do this effectively will help protect your back. You’ll be working your thighs here (quads) and core but your glutes too. Probably more than you realise.
How to do them. A full squat is actually lower than knee height. In fact it’s all the way to the ground. However many of us will find this very hard to do because our hamstrings have grown shorter though sitting in chairs.
So get your bum as low as you can while maintaining a straight back. Then squeeze your bum hard to push you back up straight. Make your feet are just beyond hip width apart and keep them on the floor.
Pushing every part of your feet into the floor as you straighten up will help keep you stable, stop your knees from rolling in and help you activate your glutes. This is where having a pair of Vibram FiveFingers on your feet can really come in handy.
Make sure you push through your glutes as you come back up – all the exercises in this workout will use your glutes so by this stage they should be super strong.
Mountain Climbers
What are they good for? This a great, aerobic burst at the end of your workout that uses all of the muscles you’ve fired up through the whole workout. So your shoulders, core, glutes and thighs will all be fired up here.
How to do them. Start in a high plank – hands under your shoulders. With feet at hip distance apart. Start with one leg bent so you are on your toes with your knee as close to your arm as possible without rounding your back. Remember your bum should not be high in the air.
Now Jump away from the floor with your feet and swap the position of your feet mid air so the other leg is bent with your knee close to your arm and the other is straight.
Finally as you land, engage your core to prevent your back from arching as you land.
We hope you enjoy giving this workout a go. Please let us know how you get on. You’ll find this workout will feel much better in a pair of Vibram FiveFingers like the KSO-Evo’s Alison is wearing in our video. Good luck!
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Moving our body effectively is at the very foundation of what we believe in at Barefoot Junkie. That’s why we’re so passionate about Vibram FiveFingers and their ability to enable us to do just that.
A ‘barefoot’ shoe, due to its design, amplifies a more natural form of running, more harmonious with human physiology, allowing your feet to move more naturally.
In turn a more natural movement can mean a reduction in common running injuries, many of which can be attributed to a more cushioned, supportive running shoe.
We want to help you to move better in as many ways as possible and our exercise boffins have come up with a great mobility exercise for our first Move of The Month piece of content.
This sequence is excellent for:
You will feel this stretch through your hamstrings and calves. If you find it difficult to put your whole hand on the floor that’s ok. It may take practice to improve your flexibility.
• Walk forwards with your hands, leave your feet where they are but lift your heels and move onto your toes
• Keep going until your body is straight and your arms are underneath your shoulders.
You’ll feel this stretch in your hamstrings at the back of your left leg and your hip flexors at the front of your right leg. If you find it too hard to move your left leg forward, drop down to your knees and try again.
This will begin to stretch the muscles through your back and chest as well as strengthening your core muscles.
• Bring your arm back down and then move your right leg through to the front
• Try to do this without it touching the floor, moving your left foot or moving your right hand.
If this is too hard to do, you can slide your leg across the floor as you move it through. With practice you will improve.
When you’ve completed the exercise on both sides, walk back towards your feet as you did at the start and stand up.
That’s the workout!.
You can repeat this movement several times and remember practice makes perfect.
The Vibram FiveFingers KSO Classic (Mens | Womens) was one of the first ever barefoot shoes developed. Possibly the most successful Fivefingers shoe to date and a Barefoot Junkie favourite.
Recognised for its versatility in the gym or outdoors on a range of terrains whether you are scrambling across rocks or running along riverbanks in the great outdoors the you want to keep as much debris, grit and gravel out of your Fivefingers.
You get a superb barefoot ground connectivity and sensory feedback from the KSO classics 3.5mm Vibram XS TREK rubber outsole compound, The sole is non-marking so fine for indoor use. And for even further grip the sole is what is know as razor-siped so as you naturally flex your feet more grip opens up.
If you’re stuck for a little exercise motivation we’ve come up with a simple bodyweight circuit you can do anywhere. This workout is particularly great in your Vibram FiveFingers because not only will it help to strengthen your feet, you’ll need plenty of feedback from all those nerves down there to do the exercises properly. Take a look at the video and we’ve given you a little more information below on each exercise.
There are 5 exercises in total. Try to repeat the whole circuit 5 times.
These are great for your posture. You’ll be using your quadriceps (thighs), hamstrings (around the back), glutes (bum), and the muscles in your core. You’ll also be getting a lot of feedback from your feet to help you move properly.
While you may find it hard to squat any lower than a right angle, with some practice you may be able to get deeper. Make sure you keep your back straight though and your feet flat on the floor.
Also be aware of what’s happening at your knees and feet. If you can see or feel your knees moving closer to each other as you squat your feet will be rolling inwards too. By wearing Vibram FiveFingers (or being barefoot) you will be able to better feel when your feet are moving. Try to keep your feet flat on the floor and push yourself up using the muscles in you bum.
Bend from the hips rather than your knees (as in the squat). If you feel the exercise primarily in your hamstrings (back of your leg) and your glutes (bum), then you’ll know you’re doing it correctly.
This is a tricky exercise for your balance but your big toe is your friend here. Pushing it into the floor will help to keep you balanced and less likely to roll your weight to the outside of your foot. Pressing your big toe into the floor will also help to strengthen the arch of your foot. Be aware that when you do this you are using your big toe instead of rolling your whole foot towards it.
Balance may be harder on one side than the other. Often right-handed people will have a harder time balancing on their right leg. Take your time and listen to your feet.
Your arms should be straight with your hands under your shoulders. If they are higher than your shoulders, you may find your bum in the air too. Make sure your posture is straight from your ankles right to the back of your head.
Now twist, take one foot off the floor, bend your knee and try to send your leg out to your side. The more flexible you are the straighter you will be able to get your leg.
This twist should be coming from your waist, so your core (and in particular the oblique muscles at your sides) will work to support your spine as you move. With practice you’ll be able to do this and keep your supporting foot still, so your ankle doesn’t rotate outwards. Again, by being barefoot or in Vibram FiveFingers, you’ll be able to better feel what’s going on at your feet.
This is a great exercise for all those core muscles you use when you run. It does wonders to improve flexibility through your hips too.
You’ll need a timer for the last exercise and a metronome (check out your app store, there are loads of free options).
180 beats per minute is an ideal running tempo so set up your metronome and jump for 30 seconds.
You’ll only need to take small jumps. Bounce on the balls of your feet but make sure you’re kissing your heels on the floor as you land. If you stay up on your toes for this exercise, your calf muscles may start to complain pretty fast.
Try to keep in the same spot too. If you end up drifting forwards or back you may find correcting your posture will help.
That’s the workout. When you’ve finished all 5 exercises, go back to number one and start over until you’ve completed 5 rounds. You can take a break in between each set if you find it too hard (no more than 60 seconds though) and you could take it up a notch by increasing the reps for each exercise. Or try adding one rep onto each exercise with each round you do.
The Vibram FiveFingers KSO-Evo or EL-X are both excellent options for this kind of workout. The super thin 3mm outsoles will give you maximum feedback and they are very flexible.
]]>Our bodies have evolved over millions of years to walk, run, climb, lift, throw, push, pull and feel in hundreds of different ways. Much like eating a wide variety of foods for a healthy diet, moving in a wide variety of ways is essential for a healthy body.
It’s also important to move in a more natural way, the way our body has evolved to. Free from the restrictions many modern training and running shoes place upon us.
At the start of each year we all look towards doing things a little differently. The top 4 most popular New Year’s resolutions all revolve around health, with exercise being the primary goal for 38% of us. So, if you’re thinking about joining a gym, using your gym more or even starting something new like running or hiking, here are our top 5 ways to help you move better this year.
We humans have become very clever at inventing ways to make it easier for us to move less. We have cars so we don’t have to walk, chairs so we don’t have to stand and even car boots that close themselves to save us the bother of doing it for ourselves.
Why not start this year by finding ways to not only move more but rely less on machines or any other form of technology. Allow your body to do more of the work so you learn to move in a more natural way.
We have thousands of nerves running through our bodies, all there to tell us where we are in space (something called ‘proprioception’) and how to move better. As well as this they provide sensory perception, letting us know when things are hot or cold, soft or hard, stable or unstable.
Each one of our feet contain over 7,000 nerve endings, no surprise really when you consider they’re usually the only part of us connected with the ground. These nerve endings are constantly supplying our brain with information enabling us to move the rest of our bodies effectively and efficiently. This is assuming we allow that all to happen.
Imagine how restrictive it would be to wear thick gloves all day, they would prevent lots of important information from getting through. Imagine the urge to take them off!
When we wear shoes with thick soles and lots of support, our brains have to rely on less sensitive parts of our body, or make a best guess at how to move effectively. This can contribute to us moving in ways that could cause injuries, short or long term.
By kicking off your shoes you can give your feet and body more opportunity to feel the way our bodies have evolved to move and feel for millions of years. A more natural way, a better way!
Our Vibram FiveFingers will help you do that. Our thinnest sole is only 3mm thick and the same thickness from heel to toe. This gives those nerve endings a better chance at doing their job, telling you how to move better whilst providing a little protection from the elements at the same time.
Even though the human body has over 800 muscles they are interconnected, part of a complete system. You can see this connectivity in action when you run, walk, climb, throw, stand up and many other movements we all make on a daily basis. For example, watch a runner, even though they will use their legs and feet they also use their arms, torso and even their head to help them move more efficiently. Running is a total body workout.
So, in order to move better try to move more of your body at once, choose exercises that help you move the way nature intended. The way we move every day. This applies to your feet too.
Our feet each contain 28 bones, 30 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. In order for them to move better make sure you’re not wearing anything that gets in the way. The Vibram FiveFingers are truly foot shaped! So all those muscles and joints can move better, including all 5 of your toes, essential for improved balance and grip.
Our bodies are very clever at adapting to whatever we do with them the most. Use a bike more and we adapt to becoming better cyclists. The muscles in our legs and buttocks strengthen to help us pedal, our core strengthens to help us become more stable. This really applies to anything we do repeatedly.
It also applies to things we don’t do. The more time we spend sitting in a chair, for example, the more our bodies adapt to that lack of movement. Our hamstrings at the back of our thighs become shorter, our core and buttocks weaken and our posture can change.
Your feet are really no different. Move them less and they become less moveable.
Try this; take off your shoes and socks and while standing and see if you can lift each toe off the ground one at a time.
Someone who spends a large amount of time wearing shoes will find this almost impossible to do yet someone who spends more time barefoot will find it as easy as wiggling their fingers.
In order to move better in lots of different ways, we need a wide variety of exercises. We should free our bodies from restriction in order to teach them to change. We all know a healthy diet relies on a variety of different foods and the same applies to movement.
So, mix it up and try something new.
This one should really go first because we will never stick at anything if we don’t enjoy it.
Make this year the year you strive to try new ways to move or ways you haven’t moved for some time. Enjoy a rich palette of movement and allow your body to do it naturally, with little or no support. But beyond anything, ENJOY YOURSELF!
They allow your feet to move better and feel better.
If you’re considering dipping your toes in the water (see what we did there), most people start with something like the KSO-Evo which are perfect for the gym and most exercise.
However if you want to take your feet out running, cross country trekking or hiking why not get in touch. We’d be more than happy to find the perfect fingers for your feet.
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