MD Podiatrist Recommends Daily Exercises to Strengthen Feet

When your feet can’t do their job effectively, other parts of your body compensate, often leading to overuse injuries and pain. “You could really generalize it as causing postural fatigue,” said Dan Micaels, DPM, a functional podiatrist in Maryland. “When your feet aren’t working optimally, people just can’t stand as long as they used to or move as they would like to. Their foot fatigue limits their ability to do certain activities, like hikes or even walking the dog.”

To strengthen your feet, Dr. Michaels calls for performing this sequence daily: “Five forward leans, five inhale-exhales with short foot activation, then the single-leg balance for 10 seconds on each side. I want those exercises done every single day if people can.”