Do you suffer from flat feet and stand on your feet for long periods? Flat feet often won’t cause serious problems. But you’ll need to give them more care and attention, especially if you do sports or stand on your feet a lot. In this post, we will discuss flat feet exercises that will help you strengthen your feet and keep you active.
But first, before knowing the exercises, we will dig into this condition…
Should you do flat feet exercises?
Yes, exercises are good for flat feet. As long as you are not in pain and are doing various exercises and activities in moderation, there is no reason to stop exercising.
Do you imagine exercise is the best thing you can do for flat feet? Exercises provide plenty of muscular support and compensate for structural instability. Because the bones and ligaments in this case do not provide the structural support you need. Remember that if you are constantly using support devices, your muscles will be unable to operate properly and hence will be weak, exacerbating your instability!
Discover 9 facts about flat feet.
4 ideas for flat feet exercises
There are many strengthening exercises for flat feet, though it’s important to consult a podiatrist before starting to find out about your condition and determine the best exercises to start with. For example, should you start with exercises that don’t involve weights, or can you add weight to your exercises?
Here are some exercises that people with flat feet should perform.
1. Arch lift
These include keeping your feet flat on the floor, raising the arch of your foot as high as you can, and shifting the weight of your foot outward while keeping your heel and toes on the floor. You can perform the exercise while standing or sitting.
2. Pick up small balls
This exercise helps strengthen the core muscles in your feet. Place 10 to 20 small balls on the ground next to a bowl. Then, while sitting, use your toes to pick up the balls and place them in the bowl. You can replace the balls with a towel.
3. Raise the heels
Keep your feet flat on the floor, then lift your heels and shift the weight onto the balls of your feet. Pause for a few seconds in this position.
4. Walking on heel and toe walking
Walking around the room on your heels and toes in the air can strengthen the muscles in your ankles and feet. You can also repeat the exercise on your toes with your heels in the air.
Are there exercises I should avoid with flat feet?
As is the case with consulting a doctor to find out the appropriate exercises for your condition and where to start, you should ask him about the exercises that you should avoid, depending on the condition and strength of it. It’s often best to be careful with exercises that can add more stress to your feet. You have to be careful and give your body time to adapt to certain sports like playing basketball or running long distances. Any increase in activity significantly more than usual will put you at risk for injury or excessive pain.
Although flat feet are not a serious condition, staying active is essential for being healthy and in excellent health.