For optimal health well into our senior years, it’s important to stay limber and keep moving. Having a regular routine to keep your feet healthy can make all the difference. Here’s how to stay on your feet for the long haul.
The challenge
As our bodies change with age, it’s not uncommon to experience more aches and pains. Your joints may feel a little stiffer in the morning. Your balance can be affected, and muscle strength diminishes. And, if you’ve led a fairly sedentary lifestyle, age-related physical issues can bring a very rude awakening. Since you’re not as young as you used to be, your body really feels it when you’ve overdone things.
Advancing years can also mean greater susceptibility to illness and put you at a higher risk for falls and injuries. A simple foot exercise program can help to mitigate these problems. Supporting the muscles of the ankles and feet with specific movements can increase your range of motion and improve your balance. One of the best parts is that you don’t need to join a gym or sign up for a class. A basic practice at home is all you need. Let’s get started.
Increase your mobility and flexibility
There are two particular exercises that will assist your mobility and flexibility. They both begin by sitting up straight with your feet flat on the floor.
The first is the toe raise, point, and curl, and it can help to strengthen your feet and toes. Raise your heels until just the balls of your feet touch the floor. After holding for 5 seconds, lower your heels. Raising your heels again, point your toes so the tips of your big and second toes are all that’s on the floor. Hold for 5 seconds. Finally, raise your heels and curl your toes inward. The tips of your toes should be the only part of your foot on the floor. Hold this position for 5 seconds. Repeat each movement 10 times.
The second exercise is called the big toe stretch. If you’ve been wearing shoes all day, this exercise offers relief and helps your big toe stay flexible. Raise your left foot and rest it on your right thigh. Gently move your big toe back and forth and to the side, with a 5-second hold in each position. Repeat this 10 times then move to your other foot.
Build strength
There are a number of exercises to increase the strength of your feet. Here are four to try. The first three start with your feet flat on the floor, sitting up straight in a chair.
The toe splay can be done with both of your feet together or one at a time. Spread your toes apart as far as you can and hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times. You might add some resistance training to this exercise with a rubber band looped around your toes.
To do toe curls, you’ll need to place a small towel on the floor with your feet in front of the short end. Using one foot at a time, practice grasping the towel with your toes and pulling it closer. After five tries, switch feet. For a bigger challenge, add a little weight to the far end of the towel.
An empty bowl and about 20 marbles are required for the next exercise. Using one foot, see if you can pick up marbles one at a time with your toes. Repeat the motion with your other foot. If you don’t have marbles handy, you can modify this exercise using pencils.
If you have an opportunity to walk barefoot over sand, it’s a wonderful way to strengthen and stretch your feet and calves. In order to avoid overdoing it, go easy the first time out and gradually increase the distance covered.
Improve control
Following are three ways to gain more control of the muscles in your feet and toes. Once again, find a chair you can sit in straight and have your feet flat on the floor.
Toe spreading is simply about spreading your toes as far apart as you can and then bringing them back together. You can experiment with one foot at a time or moving both of your feet together. Another method is to use a toe spreader. This exercise is done in three sets of 10.
The individual toe lift involves lifting your toes up one at a time while keeping your other toes firmly on the floor. Do this three times per foot.
For toe swapping, raise the big toe of one foot while having the other four toes on the floor. Hold this position for 5 seconds before reversing the move to lower the big toe and raise the other four, also holding for 5 seconds. Change feet and repeat.
In closing
Your feet do so much for you and can often be neglected in your exercise routine. Focusing on keeping your feet healthy will help keep you mobile as you enter your senior years.