Build A Solid Foundation: 4 Exercises For Stronger Lower Legs And Feet -

As the foot forms the foundation on which your body moves, it makes sense you should devote some time to ensuring both your lower legs and feet are up to the task. Many people neglect training their lower legs and feet. Don’t make this mistake!

Here are 4 exercises for making your lower legs and feet pillars of strength and stability.

#1) Tibialis Raises

This exercise strengthens the tibialis anterior muscle, and improves ankle mobility (particularly active ankle dorsiflexion). The tibialis anterior muscle acts to dorsiflex and invert the foot.

Coaching Tips:

Stand with your back against a wall. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.

Place your heels about 12 inches from a wall (this will vary on an individual basis).

Now, lift your toes and feet/dorsiflex your ankles (point your feet towards you), and press up onto your heels.

Pause for a count in the top position, and contract the muscles on the front of your lower leg.

Return to the bottom/starting position with complete control.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.

For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position, and pressed against the wall. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hip to drop on one side.

#2) Calf Raises With Tibialis Posterior Focus

This exercise strengthens the tibialis posterior muscle, and the calf muscles. The tibialis posterior plays a huge role in supporting the medial arch in the foot, and is responsible for the inversion of the foot and the plantarflexion of the foot at the ankle⁣. By squeezing the ball, there is a focus on planterflexion, inversion, and external rotation.

Coaching Tips:

Stand with your feet on the floor. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.

Squeeze a ball between your heels. The ball should be underneath your ankle bones (medial malleoli). For the duration of the exercise, squeeze the ball. This will target the tibialis posterior muscle.

You may lightly support yourself using your hands.

Press up onto your tiptoes using both legs. Go to your full range.

Pause for a count in the top position, contract your calf muscles, and really squeeze your feet into the ball.

Now lower your heels down to the floor. Do so with complete control.

For the duration of the exercise, be very mindful that you are pressing evenly through your forefeet/all of your toes.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.

For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hip to drop on one side.

For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

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#3) Skater Squats With Medial Band Resistance

This exercise strengthens the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and the muscles in the foot and lower leg.

Coaching Tips:

Attach a band around a secure surface, and around your knee. The resistance should be coming medially, and there should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.

Stand on one foot, and have a slight bend in your knee. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.

As for the non-working leg, keep it bent and close to the midline of your body. Contract your glutes and hamstrings on this side. Aim to keep your heel close to your glutes for the duration of the exercise.

On the planted side, form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor.

Extend both of your arms so they are chest height, make fists, and generate tension in your upper body.

Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).

Perform a single leg squat. Once you hit your end range (a range where you are able to maintain proper form), press your body away from the floor and back to the top/starting position.

Exhale after you have pressed away from the floor and are approaching the top position.

When you are performing the skater squats, pretend you are “pulling” your body down with your leg. Don’t just mindlessly drop down.

Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position. Many people make this mistake.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knee to fall inside or outside of your foot.

For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hip to drop on one side.

#4) Toe Lifts

This exercise strengthens the muscles in the toes and feet. You can do this exercise using one side, or both sides at the same time.

Big Toe Focus

This exercise strengthens the muscles on the lateral part of your foot.

Coaching Tips:

Adopt your regular stance. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.

Form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor.

While maintaining the tripod base, and without losing your arch, press your four outer toes into the floor and lift your big toe.

Return to the starting position, and repeat for 10-15 reps.

When you are lifting your big toe, do not allow your four outer toes to leave the floor. When you are doing this you should feel the muscles under the lateral part of your foot.

Use a range of motion that allows you to maintain proper form. You’ll likely need to start out using a very small range of motion as this exercise is deceptively challenging!

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your feet to collapse in or fall out.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knee(s) to fall inside or outside of your feet.

Toes 1-4 Focus

This exercise strengthens the muscles on the medial part of your foot.

Form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor.

While maintaining the tripod base and without losing your arch, press your big toe into the floor and lift your four outer toes.

Return to the starting position, and repeat for 10-15 reps.

When you are lifting your four outer toes, do not allow your big toe to leave the floor.

When you are doing this you should feel the muscles in the medial part of your foot (arch).

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