Exercises
The Pre-Run Foot Strength Routine
The muscles in your feet need to be strong, just like your glutes, quads and hamstrings – especially on the trails, where uneven surfaces, tree roots and rocks challenge you to react quickly. However, many runners neglect their feet and only think about them when they start to hurt. Not only can you reduce your risk for injury with stronger feet, but you can better store and utilize elastic energy to help propel you forward with each stride, contributing to your overall running economy. If you want to dominate the trails this year and reduce your risk of overuse impact injuries, add this pre-run routine to ensure your feet are f lexible yet strong and resilient.
Doing this pre-run routine in your bare feet will improve the sensitivity of the nerve endings on the plantar surface of the foot, leading to a more responsive, stronger and more resilient foot.
Exercise 1
Plantar Surface Trigger-Point Massage
WHY: To improve foot flexibility, and to stimulate nerve fibres on the foot’s plantar surface.
HOW: Place a textured massage ball under your bare foot. Stand or sit to apply pressure on a tender spot. Maintain constant tolerably uncomfortable pressure for 60 to 90 seconds.
DO: Find three of the most tender spots under each foot and apply the above.
Exercise 2 Big Toe Mobility
WHY: To improve the extension range of motion of the big toe joint, which is important for propulsion/toe-off mechanics during the walking/running gait.
HOW: Place your bare big toe on a lacrosse ball against the wall with your other 4 toes flat on the floor. Gently lift your heel to further extend your big toe joint.
DO: 60 seconds per foot.
Exercise 3 Short Foot
WHY: To strengthen the intrinsic foot muscles.
HOW: Stand in bare feet with one foot in front of the other. Put most of your weight on your front foot. Keep these three points of contact on the floor: knuckle under each of your 1st and 5th toes and your heel (we call this the foot tripod). Next, lift and splay your toes. Lastly, press the tip of your big toe down into the floor. Notice a slight lift in your medial arch.
DO: 2 sets of 6 x 10-second presses per foot.