Pain in the feet and toes: exercises for foot health

They carry us through our lives, holding us tightly, making us walk, stand, run, jump, and dance--these are our feet. However, we often don't pay attention to them until they stop carrying us or start hurting us.

Foot problems can affect the whole body. Foot misalignment and foot pain sometimes significantly alter the statics of the body, which can affect the muscle chains and fascia all the way down to the cervical spine.

To avoid all these problems, it is important to have strong feet. Our modern lifestyle of sitting for long periods in cramped shoes causes our feet to become too irritable and demanding. The feet become weaker, improper posture and overload can even deform the bones. A daily foot exercise offers a way out of this vicious circle. It strengthens muscles, tones connective tissue, increases mobility and thus counteracts foot misalignment. Regular and varied foot exercises often alleviate foot pain and related knee, hip or back pain, and improve gait.

Training the fascia with a ball or wooden balls.

Rolling the ball can benefit both healthy and sore feet - starting at the base joint of the big toe, with pressure along the inner edge of the foot, to the beginning of the heel and back again. Then repeat a few millimeters farther toward the center of the foot. This loosens the fascia, revitalizes the foot and improves the metabolism.

Exercising with wooden balls of different sizes is also very effective. In doing so, you start with larger balls, and after a while move on to smaller balls. It specifically stimulates the fascia of the foot and reduces muscle tension.

"Toe Gripping" strengthens the muscles of the toes.

Extending the toes forward on a grooved surface is a very effective workout for the muscles of the foot.

Those who do this exercise regularly and walk barefoot or in socks as often as possible can effectively train the muscles and ligaments of their feet in this way, counteracting malpositioning and relieving pain on their own.