In early 2021, researchers in Brazil split 100 runners into two groups. Half of them did foot strengthening exercises twice per week. The other half ran as usual with no prehab exercises. Over the course of a year, the foot strength group had 50% fewer running related injuries. This is a small study, but it suggests that strong feet can help keep runners injury free. Today we’ll show you the best foot strengthening exercises for runners, so you can get stronger and run healthier!
Should runners strengthen their feet?
Foot pain causes about 25% of all interruptions to runners’ training (study). But when we keep a body part strong, it’s far less likely to bother us. So, strengthening our feet should be a top priority! The feet have 19 muscles, 26 bones, and more than 30 tendons and ligaments. But, we only need a few exercises to keep them strong.
Having weaker foot muscles doesn’t cause problems like bunions or plantar fasciitis. But, people who complain of foot pain tend to score lower on foot strength tests (study). Regular foot strengthening exercises help keep our body strong from the ground up. When we’re strong, running is less likely to overwhelm our body structures and cause pain.
The best foot strengthening exercises for runners
To strengthen our feet, it’s best to focus on the foot “core” muscles. These are also called “intrinsic” muscles because they are actually inside the feet. Foot “extrinsic” muscles, like the calves, put force on the foot but are outside them. The research suggests that strengthening the intrinsic muscles provides the injury reduction benefit.
Try doing these exercises as a simple circuit. 3 times through with ten repetitions per exercise per foot. If you have foot pain from running, this can be helpful. If you’re looking to become more injury resistant or keep foot issues from coming back, the science says this can be a game changer.
Exercise 1: Alternating Toe Extensions
Why it works: this is a great way to challenge the muscles that extend the big toe. It also helps improve your overall foot dexterity.
Exercise 2: Toe Spreading
Why it works: This exercise recruits a high percentage of the foot intrinsic muscles and helps strengthen them. It may look easy, but trust us, it’s tough!
Exercise 3: Toe Curls with Towel
Why it works: This foot strengthening exercise for runners helps build the muscles of the arch.
You can try these exercises in the Recover Athletics app. The Recover App helps runners fix aches and pains and prevent injury. A year’s subscription costs less than one trip to physical therapist and we have an unlimited free trial. Give the app a try today!
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