Gymnastics for the feet from Olga Sigai. Therapeutic exercises for feet

Karina Grishanova 05/7/2015 2516

If you dream of a beautiful gait, these exercises are necessary for you.

It's time for open sandals and high heels. To feel confident in such shoes, you need to strengthen the muscles of the foot and ankle joint. Regular training will make your gait stable and beautiful, and will also protect you from injuries that may occur while walking or running.

What muscles need to be trained?

There are 5 main muscles involved in foot movements:

• gastrocnemius And soleus provide flexion of the foot on the side of the sole;
• anterior tibial extends the foot;
• peroneus muscle not only bends the foot, but also moves it to the side;
• tibialis posterior muscle responsible for stabilizing the ankle joint.

To walk beautifully and confidently, you need to work on all these muscles.

Examples of exercises

We bring to your attention several exercises aimed at strengthening the muscles of the foot. Their main advantage is that they can be performed at home or in the office: no special equipment is required.

Foot stretching

Initial position: sitting on the floor, straight legs extended in front of you. Pull your feet alternately away from you and toward you. Make sure that during the exercise the heel, thumb and the little finger remained in the same plane. Do not curl your toes under the arch of your foot. Repeat 10 times.

Circular movements of the feet

Initial position: former. Follow circular movements feet first inward, then outward. Try to touch the floor with the bone of your thumb when rotating inward and with your little finger when rotating outward. Do 10 movements in each direction.

Exercise on your knees

Initial position: kneeling on the floor. From the starting position, sit on your feet so that the big toes and heels of both feet are close to each other. Stay in this position for 1 minute.

Exercise with a towel

Initial position: Lay a medium-sized rectangular towel on the floor and stand on one end of it. Without lifting your heels off the floor, gradually pull the towel towards you using your toes. Then straighten the towel and repeat the exercise 10 times.

Lifting on fingers

Initial position: standing, back straight. Rise up onto your toes as high as you can. Keep your heels elevated and begin to gradually bend your knees. In a half-squat position, place your heels on the floor and only then straighten your legs. Knees and ankles should remain in upright position, without deviations outward or inward. Repeat 10 times.

If you can't do the exercises regularly, practice picking up small objects from the floor with your toes as often as possible. You can even do this at work: scatter pencils or paper clips under the table and study.

How often should you train?

For the greatest effectiveness of the exercises, you need to perform them every day. Don’t worry: the whole complex will take you no more than 10 minutes, but your gait will improve in just a couple of weeks.

We often talk about how the stability of your body is very important in running, so in addition to running exercises, you must strengthen your core and hip muscles, which are responsible for stability. Quite a lot of attention is paid to working on the knees and ankles, but few people pay attention to the foot itself.

Our foot consists of large and small muscles, which are arranged in layers. There are large muscles that run across the entire foot from the ankle. They are responsible for most of the movement of the foot, and it is on them that we focus on strengthening. But besides them, there are 11 more small ones, which are located a little deeper in the foot. They help stabilize the body as your foot strikes the ground and pushes off while running. They also deform to absorb and store energy mid-stance and support the arch of the foot.

So what happens if you have a weak core in your leg? The lower part of the leg has four layers of muscles that support the arch of the foot. If these muscles are weak, then the load will go to the plantar fascia. Therefore, if you want to get rid of plantar fasciitis or prevent its occurrence, you definitely need to strengthen the inner muscles of the foot. Everything in the body is connected, and weak soles can lead to abnormal movements that eventually result in knee problems.

There are several standard exercises to strengthen your feet. For example, crumpling a small towel with your feet: you drag the towel across the floor solely using the muscles of your feet. Or “marble pickups” - lifting marble balls from the floor with your feet. But these exercises involve mainly the large muscles of the foot, practically without affecting the small ones.

The study authors suggest other exercises. Place your foot on the floor in a neutral position and then squeeze it using the inner arch muscles. At the same time, try to make sure that your fingers remain flat on the floor. You can start doing them while sitting in a chair, then make it more difficult and do it standing, then on one leg.

We performed a similar exercise during stretching training: sitting on the floor with your legs straight, you try to bend your foot so that an arch is formed, but your toes should be pointed towards you.

Another option is minimalist running shoes or barefoot running. The first positive changes will be noticeable after four months: the foot will become a little shorter, the arch of the foot will rise. It is these changes that show that the muscles have truly become stronger. Another benefit is the increased sensory sensitivity of the foot. This also plays an important role in developing resilience.

The legs experience a lot of stress, both physical and from the blood circulation. Therefore, in certain cases the body cannot cope with external factors and the lower limbs may become sore. It could be just soreness, fatigue, or it could be a serious illness - polyneuropathy, diabetic foot. Physiological changes in the legs are also possible - heel spurs, bunions, flat feet. Each disease has its own complexes of therapeutic exercises, but for general maintenance of leg health you can use universal exercises which can be done once a day.

Simple exercises

These exercises can be performed as a warm-up, as well as as a main complex for those who find it difficult to tolerate more serious physical activity. You can do it without support, but to maintain balance in the original standing position, it is better to hold on to the back of a chair or lean on the table. The number of repetitions of each exercise is from 5 to 10 times.

Standing exercises:

Seated exercises:

1. Bend your leg at the knee and lift it one by one.
2. Grab small objects and scarves from the floor.
3. Raise one leg over the other and rotate your shin, bending at the knee joint.

Increasing load

Sitting on a chair:

Standing, holding the back of the table

1. Raise your legs one at a time, bending at the knee.
2. Raise your outstretched legs.
3. Do squats with the foot fully planted on the floor, without lifting the heels.

Advanced exercises

Lying on your back:

1. Bend and pull your leg towards your chest.
2. Raise your leg vertically and rotate your foot with maximum amplitude.

Seated gymnastics:

1. Stretch your legs straight and work with your feet - forcefully pull your toes toward you and away from you.
2. Fan out your toes.
3. Massage the leg with the big toe and the heel of the other leg.

Exercise for diabetes

Diabetes - insidious disease, one of side effects which is diabetic foot. This disease is treated in a hospital, as it can make a person disabled. After all, the foot becomes pale, the joints become deformed, and the muscles atrophy. The foot becomes not very sensitive, but this tactile indifference is accompanied by burning, numbness and tingling.

Physical exercises cannot cure diabetic foot, but exercises alleviate the disease and, most importantly, can prevent foot damage that can lead to amputation. If a person has diabetes, he does not need to wait for this practically incurable disease, but start taking care of himself in general and his feet in particular. You need to follow the doctor's advice, healthy image life, gymnastics alone may not be enough to save your leg.

During classes, you should not cross your legs, because this will impair blood circulation. We do the exercises two to three times a day, ten times each.

Therapeutic gymnastics sitting or lying down:

• we raise our leg, straighten and pull our toes toward and away from us, first the legs one at a time, then two legs at the same time;
• raise your legs straight and bend your feet as if into a fist, there may be calf cramps, so regulate the tension yourself;
• raise straight legs, feet make different circular movements in the vertical and horizontal planes.

Gymnastics sitting on a chair:

• we raise our legs on our toes and lower them to the floor;
• raise and lower your heels;
• standing on your toes, twist your feet;
• circular movements of the feet, standing on the heels;
• we work with our fingers - bring them together, spread them apart, bend them, unbend them;
• fold the two legs together with the soles of their feet;
• roll and squeeze a small rubber ball with your toes;
• crumple the newspaper with your toes, then unfold this lump and smooth it out with your feet,
• you can collect small objects from the floor into a mug;
• roll cylindrical objects - special massage cylinders or simply plastic bottle filled with warm water.

You can also do the exercise while standing - slowly rise on your tiptoes and slowly lower. The tension is created by its own weight. Of course, you need to stick to a diet, as well as undergo the usual course of treatment prescribed by your doctor. The doctor should also familiarize himself with the course physical exercise and approve them, possibly supplement them. You can also consult with a specialist in physical therapy (physical therapy).

Hallux valgus becomes a huge problem if it is not addressed in time. At first, a protruding bunion on the foot seems only unsightly, but over time it will interfere with walking, complicate the choice of shoes, and if you continue to do nothing, the bunion will begin to cause severe pain and ultimately lead to disability.

The occurrence of a thickening at the base of the big toe is a disease and, as such, it develops in stages. If you start treatment at initial stage, then the disease disappears, including thanks to conservative methods, among which exercises for bumps on the legs also take their place.

Anatoly Shcherbin, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Head of the Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics at the Center for Cosmetology and Plastic Surgery:

Our patient, a 45-year-old woman, was one of the first to experience new technique. She is the first to have non-surgical grade 4 hallux valgus deformity was eliminated. In our center it was studied special device, foot corrector. The idea of ​​the method is to gradually straighten it by applying a little force on the thumb.

Gymnastics for feet with hallux valgus

Gymnastics for bumps on the legs is necessary as a means of activating muscle work. Even if you walk a lot and quickly, this is not an indicator of the work of all the muscles of the foot and toes. It is precisely the constant presence on your feet and in tight shoes that leads to the appearance of cones, which means that the muscles and ligaments that hold the big toe joint in its natural position do not perform their function well. With the help of gymnastics for the feet and fingers, the muscles that are Everyday life very little involved.

Therapeutic exercises for feet with hallux valgus are prescribed by the doctor as a mandatory procedure during the rehabilitation period after surgery, which once again proves its effectiveness.

How exercise can help

The foot refers to the musculoskeletal system, which, as the name suggests, is designed to allow a person to move, and constant movement helps the joints remain healthy and functional.

Exercises for the bunions will help:

• Strengthen muscles and ligaments, improve their tone;
• Reduce pain that occurs while walking;
• Increase joint mobility;
• “Force” the joint to return to its natural position.

General rules when performing exercises

Gymnastics for bunions is effective when performed daily during a course determined by an orthopedist; it is convenient to combine it with daily morning exercises, and to save time, some can be performed at work.

Some simple rules that should be observed:

• Do it every day, there should always be enough time for classes.
• Try to do exercises in the morning and evening.
• Complete the complete set of exercises prescribed by your doctor.

At the initial stage, when the disease has just begun to manifest itself, exercises for the foot have proven to be very effective; they help to completely get rid of the protruding bone and avoid surgical intervention.

Exercises

Some exercises for bunions may seem fun, and doing them will not be a burden, but a pleasure. Even if physically at first they are not entirely comfortable and easy, do these exercises every day:

Paper ball

Grab a crumpled sheet of paper in the form of a lump with your toes and transfer it to your hand, do it for both legs the same number of times. Alternatively, scrunch up a few lumps and place them on a stool or chair. Items may be different: Matchbox, lighter, children's toy, eraser, marker - the work of the joints is what matters.

Fan

Stand straight, place your feet together, place your big toes close to each other and hold them there throughout the exercise. Spread your toes apart (away from your big toes), spreading them out just like you do on your hands, so that there is a gap between the toes. Hold for a while, then move, repeat several times (5-6). The exercise seems easy, but few people succeed the first time. Pay special attention to your little fingers and help them with your hands.

Alphabet

This good exercise for morning awakening. Lying in bed, lift your foot, or your entire leg, and “draw” the letters of the alphabet with your fingers. To begin, draw at least an image of each leg four letters, gradually increase the number of letters - one per day until you can easily “write out” the entire alphabet. Performing “fun” exercises like this against bunions is not only useful, but also pleasant.

The exercise can be done both sitting and standing. Keep your feet and knees together. Bend the toes of both feet, as if collecting them into a fist, while the tension in the muscles of the foot will increase, which is what you need, hold it for several seconds, straighten your toes, relax them. Repeat several times.

A more complicated version of the previous exercise

We also clench our toes into fists, but after straightening and relaxing, try to bend (pull) your toes in the opposite direction to the clenching. Strive to bend them to the limit, and this again causes muscle tension, but other muscle groups are included, which is what needs to be achieved. Hold the position for a few seconds, release your fingers, relax them and start doing everything all over again.

Exercises that are interesting and even fun to do

Gymnastics for hallux valgus will not be a burden if the classes are structured in a playful way; in this endeavor, adults are like children. Performing the “Writing with your foot” exercise will initially be very difficult in terms of coordination, but it is similar to a game and is captivating, and the active muscle work that occurs is not noticeable.

We write with our feet

Insert a pencil or felt-tip pen between the first and second toes; you can try to do this without using your hands, taking a pencil from the floor. If you can't hold a pencil, take a marker; it will be easier to grasp and hold with untrained fingers. Now throw a sheet of paper on the floor and write numbers from 1 to 10 on it and put dots, it’s most pleasant to dot them because they’re easier. During the exercise, you stand and maintain balance on one leg, holding the paper with your fingers, while writing with the other leg. Do the same for each leg.

Bottle rolling

The exercise can be performed while sitting in front of the TV. Take a plastic weight bottle filled with water and roll it for several minutes, first with one foot, then with the other. Instead of a bottle, you can use a rolling pin, a children's ball, a ball for tennis, ball.

Perform the exercises you choose daily, otherwise the effect will be zero.

Exercises for bunions can be done even at work

• The exercise is performed while sitting at a table, feet should be flat on the floor, knees together. Your task is to move your feet forward and backward using only your toes. When moving forward, they seem to cling to the surface and pull the sole behind them; when moving back, clench your fingers “into a fist,” press them into the floor (not just one big one, but all five) and move the sole of your foot back. It looks like the movements of a caterpillar.

We continue to sit. The feet are on the floor parallel to each other, the toes are together, the heels are too.

• Raise your thumbs up and keep the tips of your other fingers on the floor. Hold the pose for 3-5 seconds.
• Raise the rest of your fingers to your thumbs, and now keep them all raised the same way for 3-5 seconds,
• Lower your thumbs, holding the rest up for a few seconds,
• Now touch the floor with all your fingers and relax your legs. Repeat the exercise 5-6 times.

Gymnastics for feet video

Lidia Petrovna: HOW I GOT RID OF A BONE ON MY FOOT IN 2 MONTHS! DON'T HURRY TO GO UNDER THE KNIFE!

Statistics show that for more than half of patients the disease ultimately ends with surgery. But medicine does not stand still, and a development has already appeared that is designed to radically solve this serious problem.

The disease progressed quite quickly. At first this lump just gave me discomfort on my leg. Then I started to get very sick. Due to the fact that the big toe began to bend inside the foot, he began to push the second, which began to rise up and rest against the top of the toe of the shoe. And a painful callus formed at the bottom of my foot. And by the age of 54, I could no longer walk in my shoes at all! My legs felt like they were in a red-hot vice.

In contact with

The foot has transverse and longitudinal arches, which are necessary for shock absorption and balance when moving. But sometimes there is a pathological change and flattening, which leads to the formation of flat feet. There can be many reasons for its appearance, but one of the most effective ways treatment is special gymnastics. Exercise therapy for flat feet trains the leg muscles, stimulates blood circulation, and helps stop the progression of the disease.

Gymnastics for the treatment of flat feet

Exercising your feet will take no more than 15 minutes a day, but if done systematically, you can get very good results and significantly slow down the flattening of your feet. This is achieved by stimulating blood circulation, developing the muscular-ligamentous apparatus of the lower extremities, strengthening and increasing joint mobility.

Daily training is aimed at correcting the pathological position of the arches of the legs and recording the results obtained. To combat flat feet, it is necessary to develop the following muscle groups:

• metatarsal;
• plantar aponeurosis;
• heel;
• shins;
• hips

The most effective exercises– multi-articular, involving several muscle groups at once. To do this, they make movements while standing, sitting, lying down, and also use auxiliary objects - cubes, balls, sticks. It is better to select a set of exercises against flat feet with an orthopedic doctor.

Before you start doing gymnastics, it is recommended to do a warm-up. It should include walking on your toes, heels, inner and outer feet, and lunges.

Sets of exercises from a standing position

In these exercises, the muscles of the feet and legs receive the main load, but the buttocks and thighs are almost not strained. Before charging, you need to take the starting position: stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, hands on your belt. Preferred movements for correcting the arches of the lower extremities, performed from a standing position:

• Walk on your toes, heels, inner and outer edges of the foot for several minutes;
• Rolls from heel to toe are performed 30-40 times;
• Circular rotation of the feet 15-20 times in each direction. The exercise helps strengthen the ankle ligaments and warms up the muscles of the feet.
• Raises on toes 30-35 times;
• Alternately squeezing and stretching your toes 15-25 times;
• Shift the center of gravity to the outer parts of the foot, then return to the starting position 20-30 times;
• Lift small objects using only your toes. This will help strengthen and develop motor skills of the small muscles of the metatarsus.

Supplement this workout with squats and half-squats, and perform the “swallow” exercise - it helps strengthen the transverse arch of the foot. To perform it, you need to transfer your body weight to one leg and move the other back. Maintain your balance by leaning towards your supporting leg. Start with 5-10 seconds and then increase the duration of the exercise.

Exercises from a sitting position

Therapeutic exercises for flat feet in a sitting position strengthen the muscles of the thighs, legs and feet; the buttocks do not work in this position. For training you will need a chair with a hard seat. Starting position: legs bent at the knees, feet on the floor parallel to each other, shoulder width apart, ankle angle is 90 degrees. The most effective sitting exercises:

• Lift your heels off the floor, resting on your toes, then, on the contrary, lift your toes, transferring your body weight to your heels. First, 10 times on each leg, then 10 on both legs at the same time;
• Simultaneously raising the heel of one leg and the toe of the other helps not only strengthen the muscles, but also improves coordination of movements. In total, it is recommended to do 10-15 repetitions;
• Place your other shin on one leg and perform circular rotations of your feet, first in one direction and then in the other;
• Place a sheet of paper in front of you, take a pencil in your stack and try to draw geometric shapes;
• Scatter small objects and lift them without using your hands, only with your feet;
• Place a gymnastic stick or rolling pin in front of the chair, roll it first with each leg in turn, and then with both legs at the same time. This exercise engages the muscles of the feet, legs and thighs, and massages the soles;
• Hold a small ball between your knees, hold it in this position, while simultaneously turning your feet to the outer part of the sole;
• Curl your toes and draw your heels toward them, then straighten your toes and repeat the exercise again. The movements resemble the way a caterpillar moves. First perform each leg separately, then both together.

This is not the entire list physical therapy with flat feet from this position. You can perform them while sitting cross-legged. One of the most effective movements for strengthening the arches of the lower extremities is to curl your toes, lean forward, try to press your stomach to your thighs, and then lift up onto the outside edge of your feet.

Sit on the floor with straight legs, extend one and bend the other at the knee and draw a line from foot to knee with your thumb. Perform 4-5 strokes on each side.

The effect of the exercises will be more noticeable if they are performed on an uneven surface. In this case, the muscles of the foot develop and the vestibular apparatus is connected to the work.

Exercises from a lying position

In the supine position, only the muscles of the lower leg and feet work, and there is absolutely no load on the back and buttocks. Such exercises for flat feet can be done in the morning after waking up and in the evening before bed. Therapeutic exercises to correct flattening of the foot while lying down:

• Starting position: Bend your knees so that your soles fully touch the floor. Lift your heels off the support so that your toes do not move. The exercise is performed 20-30 times, first alternately, and then simultaneously.
• Bend your legs and spread them apart. Tap your heels together, pressing your toes;
• With one foot, stroke the other leg along the shin, you can pinch it a little with your fingers;
• Rotate your feet in different directions;
• For several minutes, forcefully contract and unclench your toes. After the exercise, there should be a feeling of slight tension in the lower extremities.

If you do a light relaxing massage after gymnastics, the pain will become less noticeable, the swelling will not be as pronounced and your legs will not get so tired.

Exercises against flat feet for teenagers are the same as for adults. It is recommended to strengthen the muscular-ligamentous apparatus of the lower extremities with early age to avoid pathology in the future.

Flat feet is a disease that needs to be eliminated systemically. It is easiest to cure the disease at the initial stage of development, when the deformity has not yet become so severe; in advanced cases, conservative therapy may be ineffective, then surgery is recommended.

Attention!

In order for the results of exercise therapy to not be long in coming, you should switch to proper nutrition, reset excess weight, start taking vitamins, especially calcium and vitamin D complexes, wear corrective shoes.

Exercises for flat feet in adults must be performed to strengthen the muscles and ligaments of the lower extremities. Correct and systematic performance of gymnastics prevents the development of deformity and slows down the flattening of the foot. Physical education is most effective at the initial stage of the disease.