What are some good exercises to strengthen the feet and the arch muscles? I could only really think of barefoot running, or picking stuff up between your toes.
Is it possible to ever develop an arch if you are flat footed?
EMS is good. Skipping is good. Try walking on your toes, heels, outside edge and inside edge of your feet, all whilst barefoot.
http://www.barefootscience.com/
I’ve taken crap for recommending this before but my family has used them for years. You can get them cheaper on ebay.
How do those insoles work? I’m sure you can understand I’m a bit skeptical heh.
Aren’t the Nike Frees supposed to help with these sorts of issues? Having had a bit of experience working in a running shoe shop I’m not sure they really do that much. I would also argue that the brief contact time in sprinting would make foot strength not so much of an issue as ankle strength. Thoughts? Secondly, there is very little that can be done about a running gait. 80% of the population over pronate. I would also guess that most sprinters over pronate when sprinting, as this movement gets exaggerated with the more force that gets applied from the body to the ground.
Well there must be a reason why my shins are still hurting. I’m trying to pinpoint the cause, and perhaps it really just is weak arches. I put on shoes that had not so much support without wearing the orthotics, and my arches were a bit sore the next day. I was wearing orthotics straight for a whole 6 weeks and did that, so it just goes to show that my arches were being compensated quite a bit I’d say.
Something that’s really bothering me is that yes, with a relaxed stance, I have a very low arch. With my foot off the ground, I have a decent arch. I’ve researched and this would be called a “flexible flat foot” if I’m correct. Now the thing is…I can make an arch in both feet while standing, a reasonably normal arch in my opinion…except it requires me to use my inner shin/calf muscles (this is where pain from impact comes from) in a way I’m not used to. It’s harder to think about using those muscles properly while walking though. What gives? I have the strength to make and keep an arch while standing, so why do I not have an arch when I’m just relaxed?
I took a pic with one leg on a wooden block just to illustrate the arch I’m creating.
I’m in the middle of a big dilemma. I don’t know whether to keep wearing orthotics, at the expense of weaking my feet, and perhaps not even preventing future problems, or if I should take them out and try and strengthen my feet somehow.
one movement that helped me was this. hard plantar flexion with inversion. do this with band resistance once for 30 reps before you go to bed every night. it healed my back problem.
What do you mean “with inversion” ?
Something I came up with myself for strengthening my feet were:
barefoot walking
toe-pinch grip (use weight lifting plates)
Standing with a loaded bar on your back while creating an arch in the feet
EMS
That’s all I could come up with
After a few days of not wearing the orthotics, the shins are hurting a bit more again.
I’m also wearing shoes that dont give support for over-pronation though, and without all the support I’m used to, I really feel the impact of the ground when I jog. Just a week ago I did a nearly painfree jog, but with the orthotics though.
Nothing ever works out for me arghhh. I can’t even figure out how to fix my friggin problem, it’s ridiculous. At least my shin splints are only in the lower part of my shins now though…
inversion is the opposite of eversion. inversion is how the ankle moves when people roll an ankle.
I’ve got the flexible flat foot problem only with my left foot.
I still haven’t been able to fix it.