To improve our arches, do we have to stretch and pull the top of our feet in any possible direction? Do we need to push our feet under the sofa or ask someone to sit on our toes to get them closer to the floor?
Believe me, I’ve tried and not only it didn’t work: I ended up injuring my feet very badly. Why? These kinds of moves stretch ligaments that are very important to stabilise your ankles and prevent ankle sprains. How do we improve our feet then?
To improve your arches, the shape of your ankle and the line of your feet, you must shift your focus to the muscles located in the sole of your feet. The purpose of muscles is to move your body. So if you think of it, the muscles that are pulling your feet bone down are most probably located at the bottom of your feet, right?
Target the intrinsic muscles of the feet to improve your arches
The muscles at the bottom of the feet are strong and deep and allow for a variety of movements. They are also referred to as the intrinsic muscles of your feet (in case you read an anatomy article one day). By strengthening these muscles you’ll quickly see visible changes in the shape of your instep, and less quickly you’ll be able to pointe your ankle further, which will enhance the shape of your leg as well.
Create and follow a periodic routine to get strong and agile feet
If you want strong and agile feet, you need a routine. The muscles and ligaments structure of the feet is quite similar to that of the hand. Technically, we should be able to move our toes almost the same way we move our fingers. It just requires daily practice to innovate the right muscles. If you think of it, how often do you use your fingers in a day? How long did it take to hold a pen naturally? Create a routine and train your toes, feet and ankles. You will be amazed by the changes.
How often should I train my feet?
We advise you to do feet exercises daily, but to vary them. Try a set of exercises for Monday, Wednesday, Friday and a different set of exercises for Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Of course, rest when needed. A day off is always more beneficial than straining your body.
Which exercises should I do?
We filmed various tutorials and routines to make life easier for you and provide you with all the information that you need.
Try some of our “feet exercises for ballet dancers”, designed to improve your toes, feet and ankles alignment, mobility and strength. You can mix and match them to create your own routines.
We also recommend you try our “feet preparation routine”: a follow-along program filled with our favorite exercises to prepare and improve foot mobility, agility, strength and alignment.
With consistency and dedication, you will start seeing and noticing results over time. We hope you enjoyed this article. Let us know: which is your favorite feet exercise?
Featured photo of Denys Cherevychko by Marian Furnica.
