Strengthening Your Feet for Running: A Practical Guide

Today, let's shed some light on a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of our running regimen - our feet. Surprisingly, the modern running shoes we've come to rely on for comfort and performance could be limiting our foot strength. Let's explore how we can empower our feet to be stronger, more flexible, and resilient.

Understanding Foot Health

Consider the concept of allowing our feet more freedom. Regularly walking barefoot or engaging in exercises that promote toe spreading can significantly enhance our feet's sensory experiences, ability to absorb impact, and overall foot hygiene.

Weak and rigid feet contribute to various issues, including plantar fasciitis, arthritis, Achilles tendinitis, and even knee and hip problems, particularly in conjunction with poor running mechanics.

At Next Level Physio, we approach runners’ foot pain with a dual focus:

Addressing the symptoms and, more importantly,
Identifying and treating the underlying root cause.

Advancements in Recovery

We've seen significant advancements in treatment modalities, such as shockwave and performance dry-needling, which offer accelerated recovery for common foot injuries. In fact, using these modalities has helped many runners who have failed traditional physical therapy to get back on their feet, so to speak.

Click here to watch this short video!How Shockwave Helps Runners Accelerate Their Recovery

However, strengthening the foot itself is an often-neglected component that may help reduce the likelihood of these issues from arising in the first place.

Research by Dr. Sarah Ridge and Dr. Irene Davis has highlighted the value of incorporating barefoot activities, which can lead to stronger, more adaptive feet by promoting natural foot mechanics and muscle engagement.

Four Effective Foot-Strengthening Exercises

Strengthening your feet doesn't need to be time-consuming or complex. Here are four straightforward exercises to integrate into your routine:

Arch Activation:
- Practice lifting or “doming” the arch of your foot without curling your toes to engage and strengthen the intrinsic foot muscles.
Edge-of-Step Isometrics:
- Position the balls of your feet on a step with your heels suspended and hold this position. Spread your toes while performing this one as an added bonus. This pose strengthens the muscles and tendons in your feet and calves.
Balance Practice:
- Stand on one foot, ideally barefoot, to improve balance and strength in the foot, ankle, and supporting muscles. Work up to 1 minute sets and with your eyes closed (make sure to practice this one in the corner of a wall and/or with supervision, if you’re prone to falls!)
Toe Spreading:
- Actively spread your toes apart and practice holding the position. This simple movement can enhance alignment and activate the muscles in your feet.

Final Thoughts

By revisiting our approach to foot health and considering the impact of our footwear choices, we can make significant strides in reducing common running injuries. Incorporating just a few minutes of targeted exercises into our daily routine can dramatically improve the strength and resilience of our feet. Let's prioritize our foot health as part of our broader running goals and enjoy the journey towards improved performance and reduced injury risk!

Having trouble with your feet and need more guidance on building your foot? Click here to schedule your free physio foot assessment with our expert physios!

Dr. Jerry Yoo is the Founder of Next Level Physio.

He has worked with runners and triathletes for over 25 years, and is a clinical running research partner with Rutgers University, Dr. Jerry is an expert at helping athletic men and women over 30 get back to what they love to do.

He can be reached directly at

Jerry@NLPhysio.com