Did you know picking up marbles is a great exercise?

Keeping your feet strong and flexible can help reduce foot and ankle pain, reduce muscle soreness, improve your overall foot health, and keep you active.  Exercises that improve range of motion and help limber up your feet may reduce your chance of getting hurt. Slow and gentle stretches will improve your flexibility. Strength exercises will allow your muscles to provide better support and protection for your foot as a whole.

You can do these gentle stretching and strengthening exercises three days per week or as often as every day - while checking your phone or on a conference call - to start to increase your range of motion and strength for lifelong foot health and vitality.

Here is one way to keep your feet happy

Marble pickup

This exercise will strengthen the muscles on the bottom of your feet and toes.

1. Sit in a straight-backed chair with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Place 20 marbles (or small objects) and a small bowl on the floor in front of you.
3. Pick up one marble at a time with your toes and place it in the bowl. Use one foot to pick up all 20 marbles.
4. Repeat with the other foot.

Toe raise, point, and curl

This three-part exercise will start to get your toes and feet moving.

1. Sit in a straight-backed chair with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Keep your toes flat on the ground and raise your heels until only the balls of your feet and toes touch the ground. Hold for five seconds.
3. Point your toes so that only the ends of your big and second toes touch the ground. Hold for five seconds.
4. Keep your heel off the ground and roll your toes under so that that tops of your toes touch the ground. Hold for five seconds.
5. Repeat each position 10 times.

This article was originally published by SantM's content partner, Healthline.  For the full article go to: Healthline.com

 

Photo by Horst P. Horst for May 15, 1941, Vogue