Dr. Mark sent this to me to share with you all. The below pictures show Local Artist and Two Rivers Treads employee Colleen Tracy demonstrating exercises for your toes, mainly your load-bearing big toe, to help you strengthen the toe-off point of the gait cycle:
This photo shows how there should be space between the big toe and the second toe. This is normal and how babies (we) were born. There is a natural fanning/spreading the metatarsals and toes should have. See the notes and pictures on Dr. Marks' Kids Page on his site at http://trtreads.org/Kids_Page.html . Good stuff there!
Here, she demonstrates bearing weight over the big toe to strengthen it. (It's difficult to see here.) He recommends doing this exercise (and testing to see how well you do it the first time) by standing on one foot and balancing for 30 seconds. Notice where you tend to naturally shift/press your weight. You should have more weight over the big toe than the others, so if you're not try to do so when you do the exercise. Also, as part of a good exercise routine , try to lift all of your toes, except your big toe, off the ground (not pictured).
Here she shows another exercise where you practice light landing, foot stability, and elastic recoil through the jump rope motion.
This photo shows how there should be space between the big toe and the second toe. This is normal and how babies (we) were born. There is a natural fanning/spreading the metatarsals and toes should have. See the notes and pictures on Dr. Marks' Kids Page on his site at http://trtreads.org/Kids_Page.html . Good stuff there!
Here, she demonstrates bearing weight over the big toe to strengthen it. (It's difficult to see here.) He recommends doing this exercise (and testing to see how well you do it the first time) by standing on one foot and balancing for 30 seconds. Notice where you tend to naturally shift/press your weight. You should have more weight over the big toe than the others, so if you're not try to do so when you do the exercise. Also, as part of a good exercise routine , try to lift all of your toes, except your big toe, off the ground (not pictured).
Here she shows another exercise where you practice light landing, foot stability, and elastic recoil through the jump rope motion.