The Importance of Foot Exercises

Are you worried about foot conditions or injuries? Have you had circulation issues? Do you live in Levittown and need to see a podiatrist often? There are some things that you can do in the comfort of your own home to help possibly lessen the need for multiple visits. The best thing of all? You don’t have to shell out a lot of money for fancy equipment. Most of the things you need you will already have and if not, you can get them for under $20. 

Here are some stretches and exercises that can help your overall foot health:

Toe Spreading to Improve the Circulation in Feet
 

Shoes can help you protect your feet, but wearing them daily for eight hours can cramp your toes. Imagine having to wear mittens on your hands for that same time. The simple act of walking relies on toes. Take the time to help your toes by sitting barefoot and spread them out as far as possible for 10 seconds. Do this three times. Your feet will thank you.

Tennis Ball Roll Exercise For Plantar Fasciitis
 

Having Plantar Fasciitis, which is when the tissue under your feet that runs from your toes to your heel bone gets inflamed, can be quite painful. Sit down and roll a tennis ball under your foot. That can help the pain and discomfort enough to aid you in getting back to being able to walk. 

Achilles Stretch to Prevent Foot, Ankle and Leg Pain

People who know Greek mythology know that Achilles was an immortal warrior with one weak point - his heels because his mother held him by his feet when dipping him in the potent water. Those who have had Achilles heel injuries know how it can affect their overall walking ability. Stretching the heel by doing things like stair and wall foot stretches before exercise can prevent a long lasting injury. 

Other Things You Can Do To Keep Your Feet Healthy

Fortunately, all you have to do to possibly prevent many foot issues is to devote a few minutes each day to doing the above exercises or some other ones. The first area you should target is your calves. Do calf stretches by standing in front of a wall with both arms out. Put your hands against the wall and put one leg further out than the other. Slowly bend the closer leg forward while keeping the farther one straight. This will stretch your calf. Do this for each leg.

Other things you can do include using a cylinder like a water bottle, a can, or a foam roller, where you roll your foot back and forth over it. Usually you should do it with each foot for a minute or so. The water bottle or can should be cold, but it doesn’t really matter what temperature the foam roller is. Stretching your big toe can also help a great deal - you just sit and cross one leg over the other and pull the toe toward you for 15-30 seconds. Lastly, you can fold a towel to make a strap and then put it in the arch of a foot and pull toward you. 

It’s All About Diligence 
 

Your feet play a big part in your everyday life, but they are also often ignored until a problem arises… and then everything can get quite complicated. Try to avoid that by taking a daily inventory of your feet to see if there is anything new or if their condition has gone down a bit since the last time you looked. If you do that, then you can possibly avoid problems down the road. 

It’s important to take care of your body, and that includes your feet. Include these stretches in your foot care regimen, which should also see you keep them moisturized and in comfortable shoes that will not cause any pain or blisters or cuts. If you do this, then you should be able to enjoy walking and other forms of exercise or just simply sitting with pain-free feet. 

Looking For Experienced Podiatrists In New York?

If you are a Levittown resident worried about keeping your feet nice and stretched? Talk to Dr. John J Hickey at Levittown Podiatry. He has plenty of experience and knowledge to impart to you about what you should do. Call Levittown Podiatry today at 516-735-4545 to make an appointment. Your feet will be glad that you did!