Strengthening Your "Foot Core" May Reduce Injuries

Running injuries are often caused by failure of the stabilizing muscles of your feet that make up your “foot core”. We all talk about how important “core” stability is in preventing injuries, but most of the focus is on our hips, pelvis and back. What about the tiny little “foot core”? There was a really interesting article in this month’s British Journal of Sports Medicine, which make the case that we shouldn't ignore our “foot core”.  In fact, the  authors challenge us to move beyond lifetime orthotic control; and after treating an injury with stabilization and rest with an orthotic, slowly wean the runner away from their orthotics by gradually stabilizing the “foot core”. Interesting paradigm shift! I'm not ready to get rid of my orthotics, but perhaps this is really not so new; but just another way to meet the demands of runners who want to go back to natural running style without the use of corrective orthotics or stabilizing shoes. Hmmm. Sounds like the exercises we presented years ago to stabilize your feet in order to introduce minimalism? I definitely see where this could be helpful in treating all of our runners that don’t have overwhelming biomechanical issues. It certainly can’t hurt!!

So what makes up the “foot core”?

Your feet have extrinsic and intrinsic muscles.  Extrinsic muscles originate far away from the joints that they move.  These are the toe muscles that start on the shin bones and turn into tendons that attach on the ends of the toes.  They can curl and extend the toes, but they do it by crossing over the many small bones and joints of the foot.

Intrinsic muscles originate and attach within the same body part.  In the foot, they originate on the heel bone or long bones of the arch of the foot and attach on the toes.  The intrinsic muscles are like the “core” muscles of the foot.  Because they are deep and don’t cross over too many joints, they can work well in stabilizing and protecting the arch and structures within the foot.  There are actually 11 tiny little intrinsic muscles in your feet, but they have a big job to do. When the foot intrinsic muscles are weak, the foot structures are more prone to increased stress and injury.  Strengthening the intrinsic muscles of the foot is good for people with foot injuries (especially plantar fasciitis) and of course those looking to prevent injury.

So how do we strengthen the “foot core”?

Here are some examples of foot intrinsic strengthening exercises.  They can be done either in sitting or standing, one foot at a time, or both together.  At first, the movement may seem impossible, but if you practice for a few minutes a day, you will start to see the toes working with better control.

1)    “Toe Swapping” – Start with your foot flat on the floor with equal pressure on your heel, the base of the big toe, and the base of the little toe.  Raise up the big toe while keeping the other 4 toes flat and pressed into the floor.  After holding a few seconds, try the opposite.  Flatten the big toe down into the floor and try to lift up the 4 small toes.  Try not to let your whole leg roll back and forth as you swap back and forth between the big toe and the 4 small toes.  You can start by using your hands to hold the toes in place to help your body learn how to isolate the toe movement.

2)    “Playing the Piano” – Start with your foot and all the toes flat with equal weight on the inside and outside of the foot.  Raise the big toe up by itself as in the previous exercise.  Keeping the big toe up, raise up the second toe to join it.  Then add the third toe, the fourth, and the pinky.  Try to make each toe come up separately.  Once all the toes are up off the floor, start putting them back down one at a time starting with the little toe.  Keep rippling them up, and then down, like someone playing scales on a piano.

3)    “Doming” – Start again with the foot flat on the floor.  Try and press the underneath side of the small knuckles of the toes down into the floor.  This should make the main knuckles closest to the foot raise up like a dome.  The toes need to stay long and straight.  When the toes curl under, it’s the extrinsic muscles working, not the intrinsic.

These movements will be a little frustrating at first, but they will strengthen the “core” muscles of the foot.  They also make good party tricks. 

There is a great video on strengthening your feet to prepare for minimalist running (by yours truly) that gives you 6 more simple exercises to strengthen your feet! Check it out! And of course, if you have any foot pain that is not resolving, consult your favorite podiatrist!

On a side note: The quest to run 2015 miles in 2015 is still moving forward! We hit 400 miles this weekend at the Dallas Athlete’s St. Patrick’s Day Triathlon! Fun Times…..Now 1615 miles to go…..See you at the Dallas Rock & Roll Half Marathon this weekend!