Strengthening the Arches of the Feet

Although few beyond the foot doctor have heard of plantar fasciitis, many will know it when they feel it.

What starts as a niggling pain near the ball of the foot can easily grow into a pain that shoots through the bottom of the foot with each step. The injury is a result of weakness or tightness in the muscles and tendons that help to support the foot and will not go away on its own. With repeated exercises specifically targeting the plantar fascia, a person can mitigate the pain and stop plantar fasciitis altogether.

A foot doctor would start by recommending calf raises to help strengthen the tendons in the heel and calf muscles as well. Raise the ball of the feet as high as it can go and then lower it back down again slowly. Stairs are a great addition for people looking to add a new wrinkle to this workout.

Doming with the feet and heel is another great workout. Create an arch between the ball of the foot and the toes by bringing the toes in closer to the ball of the foot while standing. The arch won’t be as big as the ones in Arches National Park in Utah, but you get the picture.

Towel curls are another great workout designed to help the toe-flexor muscles. Just law a towel on the floor and try and scrunch the towel toward you and then push it away, all using just the toes.

A foot doctor may recommend other workouts, but these are great ways to improve your arches at home.

Taylor Larsen is a health writer. Information provided by the Wasatch Foot & Ankle Institute, a foot and ankle care center with locations in Ogden, Utah; Evanston, Wyoming and Rock Springs, Wyoming. He writes for Fusion 360, an advertising agency in Utah. Find him on Google+.