Our feet can always be relied upon, every day they carry us through everyday life and ultimately through our entire lives – as long as they are healthy. Deformities in the feet can lead to foot problems and pain. With special gymnastic exercises, for example in the office or on long trips, the muscles of the feet can be strengthened and possible foot problems can be prevented.
Feet as gripping tools?
Have you ever tried to pick up a pen from the floor with your toes without using your hands? Difficult? While children can still effortlessly use their feet to pick up objects today, it causes problems for most adults. In earlier times, the feet were not only important for us humans as a supporting body element, but at the same time they also served as a gripping and tactile tool. However, tight and uncomfortable shoes as well as a lack of movement of the feet and toes can lead to atrophy of the foot muscles. With targeted foot gymnastics, you can keep your feet on their toes and at the same time counteract possible foot complaints such as hallux valgus, flat feet or splayed feet. Vein gymnastics: 9 exercises for healthy veins
Foot exercises keep you going
To increase the mobility of the toes and strengthen the foot muscles, it is important to use foot exercises regularly. Those who already suffer from foot problems and pain should definitely seek medical advice before doing gymnastics to find out which exercises are the right ones. This is because even with pre-existing foot deformities, targeted gymnastics can have positive effects. Spiraldynamics is a new form of movement therapy that can also be used to prevent and possibly alleviate the symptoms of hallux valgus, a deformation of the ball of the big toe. It is important for already existing complaints that the exercises are also suitable for the respective problem. For everyone else, get out of your shoes and socks and have fun during your foot exercises!
6 exercises from foot gymnastics
The goal of foot gymnastics is to keep the foot and toes moving and to strengthen the muscles. You can try foot gymnastics while sitting or standing, in the office or at home – many of the exercises will also look familiar to you without having classified them as special foot gymnastics so far. Here are a few ideas for foot exercises:
- If you are sitting on a chair, you can start by placing your feet side by side on the floor without them touching. Then lift one foot slightly and circle it about ten times in the clockwise direction and ten times against it. Then switch legs and repeat the exercise. At the end, you can lift and circle both feet at the same time.
- Or try using your feet to move newspaper clippings into the wastebasket. This exercise is also best suited for children, as it not only exercises the feet, but also gets the laugh muscles going at the same time.
- Another exercise is to crumple a newspaper into a ball with your feet and smooth it out again.
- Sit on the floor and try to clap with both feet.
- For foot exercises while standing, you can go on your toes every now and then to shift the weight.
- You can also quietly walk around the room on tiptoes and then very slowly lower your feet again and roll, shift your weight again and now walk on heels.
Protection against thrombosis on long trips
Especially on longer trips, which involve sitting for hours on a plane, car or train, it is important to counteract the risk of possible thrombosis. In addition to wearing compression stockings, the feet can be loosened in between with small gymnastic exercises. And don’t worry: The gymnastics can easily be done from your seat without attracting more attention from your fellow passengers. Simply lifting your toes and heels alternately from time to time can help. It is also beneficial to move your feet in small circles. Lifting the buttocks promises further loosening. To do this, hold onto the armrest with both hands and then, without standing up, lift your buttocks. Once you are seated again, place your feet firmly on the floor parallel to each other and press your thighs together firmly several times in succession.The most effective way is to repeat all the exercises again and again and, if possible, to walk a few steps once an hour. Whether you’re traveling or going about your daily life, foot exercises can help you avoid troublesome foot problems, and they’re fun, too. Water in the legs: What to do about swollen feet?
