Foot Exercises

There are a number of causes which can give rise to foot pain. One of the most common cause of foot problems in women is standing for an extended period of time. According to a study conducted, majority of the women spend more than four hours standing every day. Apart from that foot pain can also be caused, due to injuries. Sprained ankles is one of the common injuries causing foot pain.

Foot Exercises for Pain Relief

These exercises are very simple and can easily be done when you are at home or at work. No special equipment is required to do these exercises.

Exercise 1
The first foot exercise is towel stretch. It is one of the many foot exercises for plantar fasciitis. It should ideally be done early in the morning, before you start with your daily chores.

• Grab a towel and put it over the ball of your one foot.
• Gently start pulling the towel towards yourself, but keep the knee straight.
• Hold in this position, as long as you can and release to repeat the exercise 4 to 5 times on both the feet.

Exercise 2
The next exercise for the feet is marble lifts. It helps in building the arch of the foot, hence is often one of the exercises for flat feet. You will need marbles to do this exercise, however if you do not have marbles, you can also make use of a pen or a pencil.

• Place a few marbles on the floor.
• Next to the marbles place a glass or a cup.
• Using your toes, try to lift the marbles up from the floor and drop them in the glass.
• It is recommended to do this exercise 8 to 10 times, twice a day.

Exercise 3
People with flat foot often have the tendency to trip. The next exercise is called a towel roll.

• Sit on the edge of a chair, so that your feet are placed firmly on the ground and knees are bent at a 90 degree angle.
• Place a thick towel in front of your feet on the floor and now place both your feet on the towel.
• Grab the towel with your toes and begin to roll the towel away from you.
• When you are rolling the towel, five different muscles at the bottom of the feet will be worked, which will help in bringing a functional arch to your feet.
• Repeat this rolling exercise 2 to 3 times a day.

Exercise 4
The next exercise is one of the many drop foot exercises. It is very simple to do this exercise and you can do it at work or when you are watching television as well.

• Stand next to a wall so that you are well supported.
• Lift one foot off the floor and pull the foot up, as though you were trying to touch your toes to the front of the shin bone.
• Hold in this position for as long as you can.
• Slowly come back to the starting position and repeat the exercise 10 times on either foot, thrice a day.

Exercise 5
The next foot exercise helps in strengthening the foot, it is called walking on the toes.

• When you are doing this exercise, do not wear any sort of footwear. If possible, do not wear socks either.
• Start walking on the tip of your toes for about 20 seconds per set.
• It is recommended you do about 8 to 10 sets per session and repeat the exercise twice a day.
• This is especially useful for people who stand for an extended period of time or walk a lot.

These are just some of the exercises which you can practice to get rid of any problems with the foot. However, if you have suffered from an injury, then it is recommended you talk to your health care professional before you practice any of the exercises.