Foot Exercises

[FNG-OscarMike]

I was wondering if there were some foot exercises I could do to strengthen my feet for barefoot running. I've been having pain at the top of my right foot and wanted to strengthen my feet however I can. I plan to stop running and start barefoot walking again. I have attached photos of the exercises I've been doing for the past few weeks in the hopes of strengthening my feet.



i47.tinypic.com/fekieu.jpg



i50.tinypic.com/2e0jti0.jpg



In the first photo, I wrap the band around the top of my toes and pull my toes towards me.



In the second photo, I wrap the band around the bottom of my toes and push my toes away from me.



I do anywhere from 30-50 reps at a time



Would you think these exercises do anything to help the transition to BFR ?

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I definitely think they would

I definitely think they would help in strengtheing the foot muscles, tendons, and ligaments to help avoid TOFP.

Here's an email I got from Ken Bob recently. He's very adept in offering advice about TOFP. He's changed a little of the info from the first time I happened upon it and admits it within. Check it out.

TJ,
There's actually a whole category on "Foot Pain"http://therunningbarefoot.com/?cat=265

Some of my more recent posts on the top of foot pain (most related to the mis-use of minimalist footwear, to minimize feedback);http://therunningbarefoot.com/?p=2684
http://therunningbarefoot.com/?p=1598
But for the post you're looking for, you gotta go back a couple years:http://therunningbarefoot.com/?p=1186
I've revised the post since it's originally posting, as I discovered the exercises aren't needed. And some people (particularly ex-marines) we're trying to overdo, the gentle lifting of small weights, by increasing the weight, or trying to pull their entire body weight across their mattress when pressing "gently" against the edge of their mattress with the top of their foot.

Anyway, we can simply do the same exercise while running, that is, lift up the fore-foot, exercising the top of the foot, which is actually better, because you get about a thousand very gentle fore-foot lifts each mile you run, and avoid the excess strain of pushing off with the trailing foot (it's really difficult to push off while lifting the fore-foot), instead of trying to do the fore-foot lifts in a separate workout.

Have fun,
-Barefoot Ken Bob Saxton
562-477-7629 (mobile)
Got Toenails?
http://BarefootKenBob.com
http://TheRunningBarefoot.com

 

[Jimmy Hart]

 for what it's worth i've

for what it's worth i've also covered tofp and foot strengthening exercises on my site if you're looking for more options although you really cant go wrong with Ken's advice. we do have some differences though so maybe it can be a variety.

www.gobarefooting.com

 

[FNG-OscarMike]

Thanks for the input guys I

Thanks for the input guys I really appreciate the advice. The pain has become somewhat consistent in the past week even though I have stopped running. It makes me somewhat concerned that it's more than just "growing" pain.



In your experiences has TOFP stayed with you or others even when running was stopped? e.g. Is it normal to have TOFP days after a person has stopped BFR, just from walking and doing normal daily activities? I'm wondering how many days/weeks I should wait with the pain while resting before going to check if this is a stress fracture.



Also should I stop everything such as biking and the exercises I'm doing to target the area to rest the foot?



A little background: I attended KenBob's work shop on June 4th to help me with my form (which it did) and then started BFR that week. I was BFR prior to this but stopped after I stepped on a rock and had a deep tissue bruise, I stopped running for about 3 weeks prior to attending the workshop with KenBob. So I started running approximately a 1/4 mile three days a week for about three weeks in June. After a run this past Friday 6/18, I had a lot of TOFP and still am throughout my days and have not run since.



I am also holding off from making an appointment with a podiatrist because I feel as soon as I say I've been barefoot running they'll say well thats the reason for the pain...give it up.



I'm sorry to ramble but I am down in the dumps because of this.....running is what I love and get so much enjoyment from it, being "sidelined" like this really is a bummer.



Thanks again for the help thus far.



Edit: I should also mention that in July 2007 and in Spring 2009 I went to an Orthopedic Doctor for similar pain. I was running in asics at the time and both times the doctor said it was just inflammation

 

[Jimmy Hart]

 as i read that i thought

as i read that i thought inflammation. probably on the tendons and not the muscles as much. if it's muscular tofp typically will go away like any other sore muscle over the course of a few days. if it's tendon inflammation it can last weeks so you just have to monitor it. there are a lot of options as far as physical therapy type exercises you can do to build the feet and help release the inflammation so start there.

just take it easy and heal. after that focus a lot of foot mobility and strength and you should be able to make a nice transition.

 

[FNG-OscarMike]

Thank you! I truly apperciate

Thank you! I truly apperciate the advice...it may sound strange but its really uplifting to here this Thank you again .

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Haven't checked but have you

Haven't checked but have you posted your problem in the Ask the Doc Forum here at BRS? We have a resident barefoot-friendly podiatrist available to us to answer our questions about foot and ankle health.

 

[louiewendell]

Mike-  I've experienced the

Mike- I've experienced the same pain and after much searching on the 'net- I concluded as Jimmy did- that it's most likely tendon pain and not muscular. It's painful. I actually thought I was done with it as I took some time off as well and my foot seemed to get better just not completely. But tonight I went for a 5 mile run and as I sit here- it's pretty painful but only when I move it. Mine is my left foot. I'm new to the barefoot movement also and I agree- it's frustrating. I didn't have many issues running with shoes so sometimes I question going bare but I believe the literature and it just makes sense. It has to be better for me. I suppose it's only a matter of time and I just need to be patient. If you figure out exercises that really help- let me know. I've tried all of the exercises suggested as well and I think it helps but it's painful to do them!

I read somewhere that a good indicator of whether or not you have a fracture is to move your toes left and right and if that hurts like crazy- you likely have a fracture. When I do that- I get nothing but it's super sore to touch the top of the foot or move my foot up, down or left.

 

[FNG-OscarMike]

Barefoot TJ wrote:Haven't

Haven't checked but have you posted your problem in the Ask the Doc Forum here at BRS? We have a resident barefoot-friendly podiatrist available to us to answer our questions about foot and ankle health.

I just posted a thread in there, thank you for the heads up.

Mike- I've experienced the same pain and after much searching on the 'net- I concluded as Jimmy did- that it's most likely tendon pain and not muscular. It's painful. I actually thought I was done with it as I took some time off as well and my foot seemed to get better just not completely. But tonight I went for a 5 mile run and as I sit here- it's pretty painful but only when I move it. Mine is my left foot. I'm new to the barefoot movement also and I agree- it's frustrating. I didn't have many issues running with shoes so sometimes I question going bare but I believe the literature and it just makes sense. It has to be better for me. I suppose it's only a matter of time and I just need to be patient. If you figure out exercises that really help- let me know. I've tried all of the exercises suggested as well and I think it helps but it's painful to do them!

I read somewhere that a good indicator of whether or not you have a fracture is to move your toes left and right and if that hurts like crazy- you likely have a fracture. When I do that- I get nothing but it's super sore to touch the top of the foot or move my foot up, down or left.

Thanks for the input, I tried moving my toes side to side and they seemed ok. I was thinking about going back to running shoes but I see running shoes as others have described as detrimental to my body at this point. Again thanks for the help, it's good to hear that it's something relatively minor and that I can correct on my own.



One other thing, its not a big deal but my username isn't actually my real name.

FNG ="Effing New Guy" OscarMike = "On the Move"

I know I'm werid haha

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I'd already figured out the

I'd already figured out the FNG part. Thanks. ;-)

 

[louiewendell]

Ditto on the FNG!

Ditto on the FNG!

 

[FNG-OscarMike]

Just wanted to let everyone

Just wanted to let everyone know I've been resting, icing and streching as much as I can for the past week and a half and my foot is feeling just about completely better.

Thanks again for all the help.