Foot Care for the Long Run: 5 Tips to Healthy Feet for Distance Runners

Most runners, when asked what they think about what is the most important part of their body to strengthen will reply their glutes. Or their core, Or their legs. While all of those are important, of course, let’s think lower. All the way down to your base. Your feet take all the pounding and if they’re not strong, supple, and mobile, you can potentially have more injuries and pain throughout your body. Here are my best tips for healthy feet for distance runners.

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Don’t let the word distance scare you. Whether you run three miles at a time or 30, your feet take a pounding and need regular attention to keep them (and you) healthy.

Feet have 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Over time, without proper care, poor mechanics in your feet can cause problems up the chain, and can even lead to back, hip, and knee pain.

Healthy feet don’t just happen. Especially those belonging to distance runners, who exert about three times their body weight per step while running. Add running on hard surfaces, the long mileage of marathon training, and you have a recipe for potential disaster. Well, the disaster of plantar fasciitis anyway.

Discover the secret to healthy feet for distance runners. Here are 5 tips to keep your feet strong and healthy during training! #running #runningtipsClick To Tweet

 

Foot Care For the Long Run: 5 Tips to Healthy Feet for Distance Runners

Fortunately, there are things a runner can do that will help them have healthy feet and keep them injury-free during training. 

Stretching

Active stretching before your run and more passive stretching afterward is the first step to healthy feet for distance runners. Before stepping out the door, do an active warm-up that includes foam rolling as well as dynamic stretching. 

When you think about keeping your feet healthy, remember that your plantar fascia, that thick band along the bottom of your foot, is the end of a long net of fascial tissue that actually starts way up the line (all the way to the back of your head!). So stretching for healthy feet should also include calves, hamstrings, and glutes.

 

Don’t ignore those feet altogether during your stretching. Try this one: From an all-fours position, tuck your toes under and shift your weight back until you feel a light stretch in the bottoms of your feet. Shift your hips slowly from side to side to allow the stretch to move across your foot.

Other stretches to try: 

BigToe Stretch: Sit with your right ankle over your left knee. Use your hand to gently pull your big toe up. Hold for a few seconds then inhale as you try to press your toe down while resisting with your hand (about equal resistance). Hold about five seconds then release, exhale, and gently pull the big toe up again. Repeat three or four times.

Plantar Flexion: From the same position, place your hand on the tops of your toes and gently pull your foot into plantar flexion (point your toes). Hold for a few seconds, then inhale and push your toes up into your hand (equal resistance). Hold that for about five seconds then release, exhale, and pull down your toes again.

Here’s a video that demonstrates the Big Toe and Plantar Flexion stretches:

Put your feet Up

Gravity will take it’s toll by the end of the day and can leave your feet feeling tired and swollen. Take a load off, literally, by putting your feet up. This can be sitting with your feet elevated, or my favorite, put your feet up the wall for a few minutes. 

Roll them

Give your feet a little massage with a lacrosse or tennis ball. Simply place your foot on top of the ball, press gently, and roll around. Place the ball at the ball of your foot and press and release gently. Do the same at your heel. Try this before you put on your running shoes and your feet will thank you! Check out my Happy Feet video from my Body First series!

 

Strengthen them

Runners strengthen the rest of their bodies to become better runners, so why not their feet? Add these simple exercises to your routine for stronger more injury-resistant feet.

1. Sit, barefoot, with a dish towel under your feet. Use your toes to “grab” the towel and pull it toward you.
2. Tiptoe walk. Take a step and roll all the way up to the ball of your foot. Do the same as you step forward with your other foot. Take about 15 steps on each foot.
3. Practice balance barefooted. Stand on one foot in your bare feet. You can hold on lightly if necessary. If that is easy, advance by adding movement, moving arms, offsetting balance, or closing your eyes. 

Support them

I learned a long time ago that running all the miles then hanging around barefoot or in strappy sandals was not very healthy for my feet. Along with the lack of support, hard surfaces, like tile floors, can really take their toll on your foot health.

That being said, walking barefoot can actually help strengthen your feet. Just make sure you’re doing it on soft surfaces like carpeting, grass, or sand.

If you wear sandals, wear sandals that offer some support, like Oofos or Oesh, that still look cute but don’t sacrifice your feet and comfort.

 

Give your feet some love a few times a week and they will love you back!

Do you have a favorite foot stretch or strength move?

 

 

 

 

And Now It’s Time for the Runners’ Roundup

Linkup with the #RunnersRoundup with @DeborahBrooks14, @milebymilerun, @runningwithpugs, and me! Bring your best #runningrelated posts, find new blogs to follow, and share your love of #running! Click To Tweet

 

 

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