Foot Posture Correction Exercises

Suppose you suffer from painful feet, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, foot pronation or collapsing arches. In that case, you will be interested in the active foot posture correction exercises we utilise at PhysioWorks.

Your foot posture in weight-bearing impacts all your joints and muscles within and above your foot. Poor foot posture can lead to foot, ankle, shin, knee, hip and back pain.

While you are probably aware of orthotics (an arch modification device placed within your shoe), the unfortunate trouble with orthotics is that they are only helpful when wearing shoes. You don’t see too many orthotics on the beach or designer shoes!

Another significant disadvantage is the fact that orthotics are passive support. “Passive” means that something else is holding up your collapsed foot arch that isn’t your muscles. While this may be helpful in the short term, the long-term news is not so good. So what else can fix your fallen arches?

The human body works on the principle of supply and demand. Perform demand on the muscles, e.g. exercise, and your body will grow more substantial muscles. Unfortunately, the opposite also applies. Fail to stimulate your muscles, and they will weaken further.

In simple terms, because your orthotics are doing the job your foot posture muscles should be doing – but don’t have to – your foot posture muscles will progressively weaken over time. The result will be weak foot muscles, further collapsing of your arches or excessive foot pronation. And in case you weren’t aware, Collapsed arches lead to plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, metatarsalgia, shin splints and other torsional injuries further up your leg and even spine pain.

However, There Is Good News!

Active Foot Posture Correction Exercises are an excellent short and long-term method of regaining complete control of your feet and the pain they cause.

After assessing your foot posture muscles, your PhysioWorks physiotherapist will prescribe a graded exercise appropriate for you at that stage. Once you perfect that level of training, you can safely progress to the next level. You’ll regain control of your foot arch muscles within a short period.

Yes. Most people can eliminate orthotics and become pain-free again in a short time.

How Long Does It Take for Foot Posture Exercises to Work?

Like most injuries, everyone will differ. It’s much easier to regain control of partially collapsed feet with only mild weakness than one chronically weak and subsequently deformed, e.g. bunions. Mild to moderate cases typically resolve in 6 to 8 weeks of exercise progressions.

Fatigue means that an orthotic can prevent a total arch collapse and the subsequent pain when your foot muscles fatigue. Severe foot deformities will take longer. Weak foot muscles usually also have poor endurance.

Orthotics. When To Wear?

If you have been prescribed orthotics, we do not recommend that you throw them away. The active foot posture correction exercises aim to wean you out of orthotics. We’ll use your orthotics and gradually reduce the time you spend on them as your foot strength and endurance improve.

More Information About Foot Exercises

Your PhysioWorks team has designed the Active Foot Posture Correction Exercise Program over many years. Don’t be surprised if other physiotherapists are unaware of this successful long-term foot pain solution.

Would you please contact your PhysioWorks physiotherapist trained in Active Foot Posture Correction Exercises? Please seek their professional advice on whether you are a suitable candidate. It usually only takes a few weeks of the correct exercises to regain control of your arches.