How to get rid of flat feet: massage and useful exercises

How flat feet affect the body

The bones of the foot and lower leg are surrounded by muscles and ligaments, due to which the arch of the foot, the arch from its inner side, is formed. If the muscles are in good shape, the arch is maintained, the load is evenly distributed, if not, the arch is lowered and the foot becomes flat.

exercises for flat feet: Normal and flat feet

The arch, like an elastic spring, dampens the impact of the foot on the ground. When she is not there, steps and running hit the joints and spine much harder. In addition, the position of the legs changes when walking. When placing the foot on the support, the foot turns inward, and the ankle and knee twist behind it. And this further increases the stress on the joints.

But that's only half of the problem. Muscles and ligaments do not work as separate mechanisms, they are interconnected. When the foot becomes flat, it affects the entire leg and the spine. To keep the overloaded knee joint in position, the thigh muscles have to strain all the time. To stabilize the pelvis, the hip flexors are connected and pull the lumbar spine with them.

Hence the excessive deflection in the lower back and a whole set of painful sensations in the feet, knees and hips.

Therefore, to correct muscle imbalance with flat feet, it is not enough to roll a tennis ball under the foot. We need a set of exercises and massage movements for the muscles of the whole body.

The body is a complex system. To correct the imbalance, you need a holistic view of it.

Maxim Sergeevich Rykov

What exercises to do

Maxim Rykov provided a set of exercises that are used by German physiotherapists to treat flat feet. Ok includes four blocks:

massage to relax tense muscles of the foot and lower leg;
exercises to strengthen the muscles of the foot;
exercises to strengthen the muscles of the lower leg, in particular - the posterior tibial muscle, which supports the arch of the foot;
exercises to correct imbalances throughout the body.

For some exercises, you will need a minimal resistance band and a massage or tennis ball. You can buy them at any sports store.

Massage

Calf massage with a ball

Sit on a chair, place the ankle of one leg on the thigh of the other.
Feel for the bone in the middle of the lower leg and move your toes from it to the soft tissues closer to the inside of the leg.
Place the ball on this area, press, as if twisting it into the fabric. Bend and unbend your foot at the same time, turn it out and in.
Make several movements with your foot and move the ball further towards the foot. Work the entire muscle in this way.
Massage for two minutes, then switch legs and repeat.

Shin massage with hands

Feel for the bone in the middle of the lower leg and move your fingers from it to the soft tissues closer to the inside.
Place your thumbs on this area. Massage downward along the muscle.
Massage each leg for at least a minute.

Foot massage with a ball

Press down on the ball and roll it slowly under your foot.
Spend at least a minute on each leg.

Hand massage

Sit on the floor with your foot on your heel.
Grasp the heel with one hand and the arch of the foot with the other.
Hold the heel in place with one hand and move the arch of the foot toward the floor with the other.
Perform 10 movements on each leg.

Exercises for the muscles of the foot

Combining three points

Flatfoot Exercises: Aligning Three Points

Imagine that you have three dots in the shape of a triangle on your foot. One on the ball of the foot just below the big toe, one on the ball near the little toe, and one on the heel.
Place your foot on the floor, press all three points to the floor, and then imagine that you need to put them in one line. When doing this, do not lift your foot and toes off the floor.
During this visualization, the ball of the foot is pulled towards the heel, the back of the foot is lifted, an arch appears.
Hold the arch for 3 seconds, do 3 sets of 10 times.

Octopus

For this exercise, you will need half a tennis ball or rolled up socks.

Sit on a chair, place the chosen object under the middle of the foot.
Relax your leg and lower it on top of the object.
Place your fingers on the floor, but do not bend them. It is as if you are hugging the ball with your foot.
Maintaining the tension of the muscles of the foot, lift it, and then lower it back onto the ball.
Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

Caterpillar

Sit in a chair with your heel on something that slides like a toe.
Press firmly on the floor with your fingers without bending them. This movement creates a high arch of the foot and slides the heel closer to the toes.
Relax your toes by pulling them forward. The movement resembles the crawling of a caterpillar: the leg is collected, and then relaxes and at the same time moves forward.
Do 3 sets of 10 crawls for each leg.

Frog

Sit in a chair, place your fingers on a small board or thin book.
Press down on the board with your fingers without bending or twisting them. Thanks to this movement, the arch of the foot will increase.
Lower your foot to the starting position and repeat.
Do 3 sets of 10 reps for each leg.

Knee abduction with expander

Exercises for flat feet: Knee abduction with an expander

Sit on the floor, bend the knee of your working leg and place your foot on the floor.
Place one end of the expander under the ball of your foot at the base of your big toe and press it down, pull the other end with your hand.
At the same time, move the heel, shin and knee of the working leg to the side.
Try to press down on the expander with a pad, holding it under your foot.
Return your leg to its original position and repeat.
Do 3 sets of 10 reps for each leg.

Towel pulling

Sit on a chair, put a towel on the floor.
Place your heel on the floor, grab the towel with your toes and pull it towards you.
Continue to pull up the towel until it is under your foot. The heel does not come off the floor.
To make the exercise more difficult, place a heavy object on the edge of the towel.
Do 3 sets of 10 pull-ups for each leg.

Calf Exercises

Foot pressure on each other

Exercises for flat feet: Pressing the feet on each other

Sit on a chair, place your feet on the floor, bring your knees together, and press your feet together.
Try to turn your feet inward, pressing one against the other.
Hold the position for 3 seconds, perform 3 sets of 5 times.

Strengthening the arch of the foot with an expander

Sit on a chair, place the ankle of one leg on the knee of the other.
Make a loop out of the expander and throw it over the foot in the area of the pad.
Pull the other end of the expander well and press it to the floor with your other leg.
Grab the foot with your hand and turn it inward, with the sole facing you.
Let go of the foot and lower it down as slowly as possible, overcoming the resistance of the expander.
Do 2 sets of 10 times and repeat for the other leg.

Reversal of the foot with expander

Exercises for flat feet: Turning the foot with an expander

Hook the expander onto a stable support just above the floor.
Sit on the floor with your leg extended forward and loop over your foot in the area of the pad.
Overcoming the resistance of the expander, wrap the foot inward and bring it back.
Perform 2 sets of 10 times for each leg.

Reversal of the foot with resistance

Exercises for flat feet: Reversing the foot with resistance

Sit on the floor with your right leg extended forward.
Make a loop out of the expander and put it on your leg in the area of / u200b / u200bthe pad.
Grasp the expander with your right hand and pull it to the right side.
Bring your left leg cross over the right one, press the expander with your toes, moving it to the right.
Overcoming the resistance of the expander, wrap the working foot inward.
Perform 2 sets of 10 times for each leg.

Exercises for the whole body

These exercises are suitable for correcting posture and preventing problems caused by flat feet. Be sure to do them if you have these problems, as well as if you are trying to maintain good posture despite sedentary work.

Hammock

Strengthens the pelvic muscles and reduces excessive lower back deflection.

Lie on your back, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor.
Place a rolled-up towel under your sacrum.
Tilt your pelvis towards your navel and place your lower back on the floor. The abdominal muscles are relaxed.
Return to starting position and repeat.
Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

Waterfall

Helps prevent and correct scoliosis, align the spine. You can do it anywhere: at a bus stop, in an elevator, in a queue.

Stand up straight with your weight on both legs.
Pull up as far as possible, from heels to crown. Imagine that you are standing under a mighty waterfall and you need to resist the power of the water.
Don't lift your shoulders, lift your head, or stand on your toes. Stretch your spine as much as possible, increasing the distance between your heels and crown.
Relax and repeat the exercise.
Do 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

L-pose

Strengthens the muscles of the back, useful for those who sit a lot. You can do it on public transport, at the office.

Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor and distribute your weight evenly over your two sit bones.
Stretch your spine upward, trying to increase the distance between the chair and the crown.
Do not bend your body in the lower back, do not raise your shoulders, look in front of you.
Relax and repeat. Do at least 3 sets of 10-15 reps.

Pelvic movement

Exercise relieves tension and pain in the pelvic area.

Lie on your back, bend your knees, and put your feet on the floor.
Wrap your hands around your pelvic bones to feel the movement better.
Take turns lifting the ilia up and down. Do not lift your lower back off the floor.
Do 3 sets of 10 movements on each side.

Screw

Exercise is useful for lower back problems, knee pain.

Place one leg on a dais and bend your knee. Transfer your body weight to the supporting leg, which remains on the floor. In this case, the pelvis automatically tilts towards the bent leg.
Press your heel to the floor and reach with the crown of your head towards the ceiling. Try to stretch your spine as much as possible. Due to muscle tension, the pelvis is leveled and then tilted towards the supporting leg.
As you exercise, pretend you are pushing your body through a narrow tube. This will avoid unnecessary lateral movement.
Do 3 sets of 10 reps for each leg.

Crocodile

Strengthening the muscles of the hip joint responsible for the outward rotation of the hip.

Lie on the floor on your right side, put your head on your right hand, put your left palm in front of you.
Straighten your right leg, bend your left leg at a right angle and place your foot on the floor at the knee level of your right leg.
Leaning against the floor with the inside of your foot, lift the knee of your left leg up as far as possible.
Lower your knee to the starting position and repeat.
Do 3 sets of 10 times on each leg.

Twisting the body

Exercises for flat feet: Twisting the trunk

Useful for posture disorders: round back and flat back. Helps develop mobility in the thoracic spine.

Lie on your side on the floor, bend both legs, put one hand under your head, and extend the other forward. If you have a ball, put your outstretched hand on it, if not, just stretch it forward.
As you roll the ball under your arm, extend your arm further forward and swing your chest towards the floor.
The pelvis and lower back remain in the same position until the end of the exercise.
Return your chest and shoulders to the starting position and repeat.
Do 3 sets of 10 times on each side.

Light rotation

Exercise is useful for flat back, scoliosis. Strengthens the thoracic spine.

Sit in a chair, bend over with your back straight and rest your right elbow on your right knee. Extend your left arm down next to your left leg - this is the starting position.
Without changing the position of the pelvis and lower back, try to touch the floor with your left hand. In this case, the left shoulder goes down, and the chest turns to the right.
Return to the starting position, and then try to raise your straight arm as high as possible without changing its position. Now the left shoulder will go up and the chest will turn to the left.
If this is easy for you, try another variation: instead of the elbow, place your palm on your knee and straighten your arm.
Do 3 sets of 10 turns for each arm.

How often to exercise

Train three times a week if you have flat feet and five times a week if you are advanced.

You don't have to do all of the exercises on the list on the same day. Include one or two from each category in your workout, and choose other options the next day. This workout will take about 30 minutes.

Exercises "waterfall" and L-pose you can do every day several times - as long as you remember them.

In parallel with training, check the condition of your shoes: choose comfortable shoes with low heels. In addition, replace shoes with unevenly worn out soles: they will slow down your progress, maintaining the usual position of the feet.