There are many different niggles and injuries which our feet can suffer and given their great importance in our mobility, it is important that we follow a sensible exercise routine for the recovery of the injury and to prevent it from happening again. There are many areas of the foot and ankle which can cause problems from the heel to the ball, the arch and the Achilles tendon, and a smart and regular exercise routine will be able to strengthen all of those areas and ensure that you are at your best following the injury. My podiatrist Sydney showed me this daily routine, and it has helped me greatly following damage to the arch of my foot.

Ankle Pump

This simple exercise will add strength and flexibility to your ankle, and you should be able to feel the strain as you complete the movement. Raise your foot off the ground and curl your toes as far as you can, raising your foot in the process, hold the position for 30 seconds and then relax, repeat this five times. Once you have completed this, repeat the process only this time point your toes down to the ground.

Toe Pickups and raises

Once we have given the ankle a good stretch out, it is time to turn our attention to the toes, and we will start with some pickups. This is very simple to do, all you need is some small objects, perhaps some hard candies, lay them out on the floor and then using your toes only try to pick them up and move them to make another pile. Aim to move around 20 objects in this way, and then move them back to where you started.

Once you have finished with the toe pick up, it is time to do some toe raises, and these will further support you with toe strength and dexterity. All you need to do is stand up straight and using your toes push your feet off the ground, making yourself a little taller. Hold this position for 10 seconds and then relax.

Towel Calf Stretch

It is always important when working on feet and ankles that you pay attention to the calves and so to finish off this daily exercise we are going to do some calf stretches. Grab yourself a towel and roll it up, then sit down on the floor with your legs outstretched and your back straight, use a wall if you are struggling. Loop the towel around your foot and pull until you can feel the tension at the back of your calves. Hold this for 30 seconds and then relax, repeating it 4 times on each leg. This will stretch out the calf muscle, which will aid you when it comes to strengthening the ankle and the foot.

Perform this simple workout every day, and you will very quickly begin to see the results which it has on your flexibility and strength in the feet.