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Exercise program
The podiatrist can prescribe a specific exercise program for your condition in order to help you treat an injury and for long-term prevention.
Here are some examples of exercises for strengthening and stretching the muscles of the foot.
Proprioception exercise
This exercise increases ankle stability.
Goal: Maintain 30-45s and 2-3X per day
Progress:
- Do the exercise on one leg
- Do the exercise with your eyes closed
Flexor muscle strengthening exercise
This exercise increases muscle strength and endurance.
Goal: 3 sets of 20-40 seconds 1-3X per day. Go up and down alternately.
Progress:
- Do the exercise on one leg
- Add weights in your hands
Flexor stretching exercise
This exercise increases muscle flexibility.
Goal: Maintain 30-45s and 2-3X daily on each leg.
Progress:
- You can perform the exercise with the back leg fully extended and also with the knee flexed. Depending on the position, two different muscles will be used.
Fascia stretching
The podiatrist very often recommends stretching the calf in order to increase the flexibility of the Achilles tendon, the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. They are very involved in each of our steps. If these muscles and tendons are overstretched, there is a possible loss of ankle mobility and compensation can lead to injury proximally (at the knee) or distally (heel, midfoot, and forefoot). These muscles are also connected by fascias which also need to be stretched. Here is a video that will allow you to stretch the entire posterior chain of fascia from the foot to the fingers:
(WATCH FROM 4TH MINUTE) It also talks about the importance of ankle mobility in tennis.
