Foot Strength

Is your workout footwear helping or hurting you? Athletes may often unintentionally disrupt the normal function of their feet with the habitual use of unsuitable footwear and/or shoe inserts. Loss of normal function may include weakness of the intrinsic muscles of the feet. Weakness in these muscles is associated with several orthopedic foot issues such as plantar fasciitis, Morton’s neuroma, hallux valgus, etc. Treatment for these conditions include strengthening the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the foot. Running, and even just walking, in minimalist shoes may be similarly effective in increasing the strength of the intrinsic foot muscles as traditional foot exercises. As with any new exercise, there should be a very gradual increase in loads to allow adequate adaptation. A better long-term approach to creating a solid and stable base of support would be to use your inherent strength rather than ‘solely’ relying on an external support.