At-Home Ankle and Foot Exercises

Are you suffering from ankle or foot pain? Are you an athlete? Even if you’re not in pain, if you spend a considerable amount of time on your feet, you can always benefit from doing stretches.

Stretching regularly can alleviate pain and prevent pain from becoming chronic. If you’re an athlete, reaching before and after exercise is a crucial step in preventing injuries. While stretching is important, it’s also essential that you are stretching correctly to avoid straining muscles.

Exercises You Can Try:

Here are some practical and easy foot and ankle exercises that you can do daily from the comfort of your own home:

  1. Toe Pull: While sitting, raise one leg. Pull your toes towards you as far as you possibly can and hold for 5 seconds. Do the same with your other leg.
  2. Toe Raise: While sitting with your feet flat on the floor, stretch your feet upwards while keeping your heels on the floor and hold for 5 seconds. Next, raise your heel and point the toes up, hold for 5 seconds before lowering them. Next, raise the heel and curl the toes inward and hold for 5 seconds.
  3. Toe Splay: While sitting straight with feet flat on the floor, spread your toes apart as far as possible (being careful not to over-strain) and hold for 5 seconds, repeating the motion ten times.
  4. Ankle Stretch: Point your foot gently up and down and then in a circle, so that your ankle rotates. Repeat ten times on each ankle.
  5. Toe Grip: If you have marbles at home, try picking them up with your toes.
  6. Standing Tip-Toe Stretch: Stand behind a chair and raise yourself on your toes, hold for 5 seconds, and relax back down. Try a variation on one leg at a time.
  7. Standing Heel Raise: Stand with your feet wide apart and knees bent. Put your hands on your knees and with toes on the floor, lift one heel off the floor. Repeat ten times with each foot.

Contact Cherrywood Foot Care:

Aim to do these exercises three times a week. For more at-home exercises, visit the Cherrywood Foot Care website, and stay up-to-date with our blog! Take our pain-assessment or self-assessment quiz to find out if you could benefit from a visit to our podiatry office!

Cherrywood Foot Care