Walking is the best overall foot exercise.. ”When you walk, you put your foot through its full range of motion-we call this your gait, from the time your heel hits the ground until you lift off with your toes.
Issues with your gait can lead to many other problem with the kinetic chain of the lower body. You must have heard the phrase “ It is all connected” well this is true especially when it come to the feet.
Think about it, when you stand on your feel your entire body is being supported by them. Now imagine that the support structure is not functioning optimally.
You see the issues that can arise from not having healthy feet. The foot and ankle has one-quarter of the bones in the human body 26 bones to be exact, 33 joints, and 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. Lots can go wrong if we are not good to our feet.
Wearing good shoes getting massages and exercising your feet are the things to do to ensure good foot health.
As I mentioned earlier walking is the best form of exercise for your feet. Moreover, walking is one of the best forms of exercise for your entire body.
According to Hippocrates, “Walking is man’s best medicine.
It improves your cardiovascular health and can help your circulation, muscle tone, and mood. In addition to walking, flexibility and resistance exercises can also help keep your feet healthy.
Exercises that improve flexibility help keep your feet limber and may reduce your risk for injury.
But, don’t worry if your feet have grown stiff with age; studies show that no matter how old you are, you can still improve your flexibility and this is where massage therapy can help.
The easiest way to build flexibility is through slow and gentle passive stretches performed by your therapist, focusing on one group of muscles at a time.
Massage therapy can help reduce hypertonicity, pain , trigger points and adhesion if present.
Resistance exercises with weights or exercise bands can help strengthen the muscles of the feet, which, in turn, provide better support and protection for the foot as a whole.
Some pretty easy and fun exercises are picking up pebbles and pencils also you can scrunch towels with your toes. These exercises can really strengthen the many intrinsic muscles of the feel.
Foot flexibility and resistance exercises can be built it into your daily routine. You can do some while you sit at your desk; others require you to stand up. To avoid slips and falls, you may want be barefoot and have a chair, desk, or wall nearby that you can use for balance.
Don’t do foot exercises if they hurt. And if you have arthritis, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, or structural foot problems that might affect your ability to exercise, if this is the case ask your massage therapist to recommend a foot care specialist.
To your health.
Mark Allen