Problems or feelings of foot pain they are quite common, so it seems interest, with different shades and in various stages of life, up to 90% of people.
They may have different origins and motivations but one thing is certain: neglect them means to run the risk that turn into more serious situations or generate pain also to neck e back.
Between the parts of the foot more prone to injuries and pains there are the tendons, especially among sportsmen. To avoid or avert these events as much as possible, it is important to carry out targeted exercises that strengthen them in advance.
Achilles tendon: what it is and why it is important
I tendons are the connecting tissues that they join the muscles to the bones and other support structures.
One of the most important is the Achilles tendon, which connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. This tendon is the largest and most solid of all those in the human body and is essential for walking and running.
Why is injured
Unfortunately it is often victim of injuries, especially among runners because almost all the effort of running is generated by the Achilles tendon, which in standard situations is able to move up to three times the person's body weight.
Favorite targets even children and adolescents, since the Achilles tendon acquires its maximum strength around 18-20 years, while before it is still in the growth phase. The most common injury to the Achilles tendon, but also to other tendons of the foot, is paratendinitis.
Strengthen your feet and ankles with training
To reinforce this tendon and the others of the feet, and thus making them, together with the ankles, stronger and more stable, is fundamental train them with constancy and in all directions. For this, a full workout aimed at this purpose should contain forward, backward, right and left foot movements.
Tendons, like muscles, activate an adaptive response if they are subjected to a stimulus or a stressful situation.
This means that to strengthen a tendon it is necessary to expose it to a certain degree of stress in order to trigger a reaction that strengthens it. Although this is the basic indication, however, it is not always enough to follow it for a tendon to really become stronger. Se so it is not and you feel pain when exercising, you may need to stop.
If not, proactively performing exercises to strengthen the feet and ankles can help prevent injuries, although it is always essential to consult with your doctor before starting them.
To improve things it is also useful to perform plyometric exercises to increase the vertical jump.
Exercises to strengthen feet and ankles: benefits
- exercises to strengthen the muscles of the feet they not only help prevent injuries, but can also improve athletic performance. According to an article published in the Journal of Sports Sciences, for example, strengthening the muscles of the toes can improve overall leg power during activities such as side jumping and sprinting.
Frequency of execution
To execute 10 repetitions of each exercise below, accomplishing up to three series in a row. Include these foot and ankle strengthening exercises in your workout routine three to five days a week.
Exercises
Static bending of the tip
- Sit or stand with your feet flat on the floor.
- Press your toes to the floor, keeping your ankles straight and steady.
- Hold this position for three seconds, then relax and return to the main one.
Forefoot strengthening
- Place the back of the foot on a sturdy object, such as a book, and the front half of the foot on a scale, making sure the foot is level.
- Press on the scale with the forefoot so that you can measure your strength.
- Repeat this exercise 10 times with each foot.
- Try to achieve or improve the measurement with each session.
Lifting the pencil
- Sit in a chair and place a pencil horizontally in front of your foot.
- Curl your toes and pick up the pencil.
- Hold the pencil with your toes for 3-5 seconds, then relax.
- Repeat on the opposite side.
Walk on tiptoe
- Stand on tiptoe.
- Walk forward for 20 seconds.
- Rest for a moment and then repeat the execution three times.
Walking on the heels
- Stand up and lift the front of your feet off the ground to stand on your heels.
- Walk on your heels for 20 seconds.
- Rest for a moment, then repeat the execution three times.
Calf Raises
- Stand near a sturdy surface to maintain balance.
- Keeping your knees straight, lift yourself up onto your toes.
- Hold the position for two to three seconds, then slowly lower yourself.
make this more difficult exercise, it's possible perform it on one leg at a time or standing on the edge of a step, starting with the heels at the bottom of the step.
Another alternative is hold two dumbbells in your hands while doing standing calf raises.
Collect marbles
- Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground.
- Place 20 marbles on the ground near your foot.
- Place a small bowl on the opposite side of the foot.
- Pick up one marble at a time with your toes.
- Put the marbles in the bowl.
- Repeat three times.
It is also helpful to perform specific exercises to improve balance.
