“When the sun comes up, you’d better be running.” 

Have you heard this saying before? This quote brings enthusiasm to this global crisis when everyone is locked in their house and waiting for some hope from medical science. But at the same time, we need to take care of our feet so that whenever things get back to normal, we can continue with our run.

So apart from a healthy diet, you should pay a little more attention to your feet as healthy and happy feet are one of the most important pre-requisites for a run. Whenever you are running, there is a moment when both feet are in the air. When you put your foot on the ground, the high impact produces an extreme force that can equate to multiple times of your body weight. To tolerate this intense pressure, the feet need to be well cushioned. The structure of our feet is firm and sturdy, but over-exertion can lead to pain and other medical problems. To be ready and active for running as well as for all the daily life chores, healthy feet are a bliss.

If we put some care for foot, then our foot muscles will be ready to win any race or battle, and pain won’t be a hurdle for it. And with foot care, we mean maintaining the flexibility and strength of your feet and not just massage and pedicure. Sometimes we experience sprains, bruises, and pain in the foot that may be a result of excessive pressure, tight running shoes, obesity, the wrong technique of running, or just weak and stiff feet. Stability and mobility of feet can affect the hips, pelvis, and even spine when we are standing, running, or walking on it. So in a nutshell, strong and healthy feet make up the foundation of the whole body.

Consequently, it’s a good idea to do some workout for strengthening and stretching the muscles and joints of the foot at home.

Some foot exercises to do at Home in LockDown

1. Toe raise, point, and curl

This foot exercise comprises of three phases.

1. First, sit on a chair, and place feet flat on the ground. Raise your heels until only the balls of the feet and toes are touching the ground. Hold your feet in this position for 5 seconds and then slowly put your feet back to the ground.
2. After this, again raise your heels till only the tips of the big and second toes are touching the ground. Maintain the position for 5 seconds and then get back to normal.
3. Now for the third part, curl the toes in an inward direction and raise the heels till the tips of the toes are touching the ground. Hold this posture for 5 seconds and then get back to normal.

It is advisable to do these exercises 10 times a day. It can help in improving the flexibility as well as mobility of your feet.

2. Calf stretch- towel stretch and standing calf stretch

For towel stretch, sit down on the floor and stretch your legs at your front. Take a towel or a cloth strap and wrap it around the upper sole of your foot. Pull the towel in inward direction so the toes move towards you. Hold the position for 15-30 seconds and then repeat with the next foot. Please note that you should gently stretch the calf muscles. This exercise can provide relief in calf muscles of the foot.

For calf-stretch in standing position, stand facing a wall. Keep your hands on the wall and place one leg in front and the second one step back. Now bend the knee of the front leg until you experience a mild stretch in the calf muscles of the back foot. Retain the posture for 30 seconds and repeat this for 3 times with the foot before changing the positions of the legs. This exercise can be helpful to get some relief in ankle sprains.

3. Drawing alphabet with your big toe

For this exercise, sit on a chair and then lift one leg a little bit. Now think of all the English alphabets and try to draw them with the big toe without re-positioning the legs. Move your ankles gently and after a few minutes, repeat with the other foot. Perform this exercise 5 times a day to strength the ankle muscles.

This exercise helps in ankle sprain rehabilitation and enhances mobility of ankle joints and muscles.

4. Big toe stretch

To start with this exercise, sit with back straight on the chair and keep your feet on the floor. Fold your left foot to rest on the right thigh. Using the fingers, stretch the big toe into different directions (up, down, left, and right) without putting much force. Retain each position for 5 seconds and repeat the complete process for 10 times before doing it with the other foot.

This exercise can stretch the muscles of the toes to improve flexibility and provide relief from the pain which can occur in toes due to any reason.

5.Ball roll

If you are suffering from pain or discomfort in the arches of the foot, then this exercise can be helpful to get relief from the foot.

Just sit on the chair with a straight spine and take a tennis ball or any other small ball. Place this ball under one foot and slowly move it around by pressing down without putting excess stress. Continue this for around 2 minutes and then repeat with the other foot. In case if you don’t find a ball, then you can try this with a frozen bottle of water.

These are some exercises that can be easily performed at home and can help to strengthen them. If you are facing any foot-related problems then you should consult specialists like Dr Anuj Chawla. He is considered as the most trusted Foot and Ankle doctor in Delhi.