An Exercise Routine to Protect Your Feet for Life
Don't take your feet for granted. They are the foundation of good health.
When we hear the word “muscle,” we generally think about the biceps, triceps, glutes and shoulders. But there’s an overlooked area of the body that deserves some much-needed attention: Your feet.
Think about it: Your feet are the foundation of your body and your life.
Whether you’re an elite athlete or an occasional walker, your feet are responsible for carrying you everywhere you go in life. And since the foot is comprised of over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments, 26 bones and 33 joints, at some point in our lives, almost 75 percent of us will experience an issue with our foot health.
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A New Respect for Feet
I started to think more about the importance of foot health just recently. My daughter, Kate, is a competitive runner who went to the Olympic trials last year. Needless to say, she’s no stranger to intense physical training and to the aches and soreness that occasionally result from it. But when she suffered a stress fracture in her foot from overuse, suddenly this part of her body she’d always taken for granted couldn’t perform its basic (and incredibly important) function.
She started a new regimen for strengthening the muscles in her foot — a simple 5-minute routine that led to her recovery and one that she still practices to this day. These exercises can be completed during two commercial breaks, and they will save you from the months of inactivity and rehabilitation that can arise from a foot injury. Check out my instructional video, for a quick tutorial. Follow along at home or in the gym.
