Flatfoot. fallen arches. You definitely know if you have it and if you suspect you have it, a very simple way to tell is to press your bare foot into a wet area of grass or a wet paper towel and then step on a dry spot on the sidewalk. . If you see the entire bottom of your foot in the print, that’s a good indicator that you have flat feet. There should be an open area in the inner footprint of the foot between the ball of the toes and the heel.
Flat feet affect all ages, even babies who are just learning to walk. But for young children, the problem will usually correct itself as the child grows and the bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles get stronger with wear and tear. However, for adults, no matter what the reason for flat feet is, some work is needed to fix the problem.
Here are 5 things you can do daily to strengthen and ultimately help repair your flat feet.
- Keep them straight. Take a minute to assess your standing position. Stand up and walk around the room for a minute. Stop and look ahead. Now, without changing the position of your feet, look down and see which way your feet are pointing. For most people, if they were to draw an imaginary straight line from the little finger, they would find that their feet point outwards, almost to the point of “duck feet”. If that’s the case for you, turn your foot at the ankle so that the imaginary line is straight in front of you, so that the lines of both feet are parallel and directed towards whatever object is in the distance in front of you. . Remember that position. Every time you stop to stand still, make a note of your foot position and adjust accordingly.
- Get your knees out. Once your feet are in the straight position mentioned above, try bouncing your kneecaps up and down. Can? Most people can’t. Keep trying. It is usually easier to try to pick them up and then let them go. Once you’ve bounced them up and down a few times, try opening your knees without lifting your feet or bending your knees. Be patient, this is not easy! Imagine trying to get your knees to face each side wall. What you should notice is that your feet miraculously “get” an arch. Again, every time you stop to stand still, get those feet into position and try to roll your knees.
- Put your toes up. You can do this while standing (hold on to a chair if necessary) or while sitting. With your feet on the ground, spread your toes wide apart, then lift them up into the air while keeping the ball of your foot and heel on the ground. Let them fall to the ground again. Now next time, try lifting each toe in a wave starting with the big toe to the little toe until they are all lifted again. Put them back in reverse order. This helps strengthen the individual muscles of the foot. If you’re standing while trying this exercise, remember the position of your feet and try to keep your knees turned.
- Massage the arch. Using a tennis ball or similar child’s play ball, massage the arch of your foot daily by rolling it back and forth on the ball. Stand up and dig into the ball with your foot, but don’t put your entire body weight on the ball. Switch to the other foot.
- Stretch your calves. One of the foot gurus, an expert in body alignment and biomechanics, Katy Bowman’s exercises for any type of foot problem are calf stretches. Place the ball of her foot on top of a rolled-up towel and drop her heel to the floor. Keeping your weight on the heel of that foot, try to inch your free foot forward. Switch to the other side.
If you experience pain due to flat feet, wear a shoe with arch support from time to time to help with the pain. Be sure to see your podiatrist if pain persists or if you know you have had an injury or trauma to your foot.
Over time, as you strengthen and stretch the muscles in your feet, you will find that your flat feet are no longer flat. Try the water test again and see if there is a change! Either way, your feet will be healthier and happier after a little work and exercise.