Why Do You Need To Work on Strengthening Your Feet for Better Running?

Running is known to be one of the most simple yet most effective workouts so far. Unlike most workouts where you require to spend hours in the gym, just a 15 minutes morning run is enough to help you stay fit and healthy. Most people use running as a warm-up, others make the most out of running by utilizing it as a weight-loss tool. No matter what you choose or how you try to utilize the running, you will see that your feet will need a lot of strength. Whether you’re a beginner who is not into running and struggling to deal with the shooting aches after taking stares, or you are a professional marathon runner spending hours running at a stretch, you need to work on the strength of your legs. People who do not run at all are still using their leg muscles on day to day basis without even realizing it.

It is very important to understand that your whole body plays a role of a unit and if one muscle group is not strong enough, this will impact the performance of the rest of the body as well. Most runners work on their leg muscles without working on their feet. As a result, their feet become painful after just a few minutes of workout. With the help of this article, we will mainly discuss some of the best workouts that will help you work on the strength of your feet. Although leg muscles are very important but our focus will be on the digits, heels, and palm of your feet.

Top 7 Simple Feet Workouts

Leg balance

Leg balance is another very simple workout where you will be using just one leg while your other leg will be in the air. As your lift, your leg makes sure you do not feel the strain. 

Walking On the Heels

This is another workout that will not only train your heel but also your hamstrings. You will be standing on your heels and walking for a few minutes. The ideal time duration is 2 minutes followed by 20 seconds of resting period however, you can adjust accordingly.

Resistance Band Digits Press

For this workout, you will hold a resistance band in your hands. Now press the middle of the band with your feet and stretch it upwards. You will feel a tug somewhere between the heel and the toe. Now keep moving till you reach your toes and then do it again.

Rope Skipping

Rope skipping is a great workout that you can use for training your toes. You will be wearing your joggers so bouncing on your toes will be easier however, do not try to strain your feet too much.

Toe Raise

Toe raise is a very simple workout where you will stand still with your feet apart. Now slowly, lift your body weight on your toes. Do not strain your fee by keeping the bodyweight on your toes for too long. Retain this pose for a few seconds and then try again.

The Foot Spread

For this workout, you need to keep your feet on the cold floor. Try to stretch your digits till you can see the surface of the floor between the fingers. Now hold this stretch for a few seconds and then get back to the initial position. Now repeat.

Heel Ball Curl

Use a simple tennis ball and place it under your feet. Now try to grip the ball by curling your digits and heel around it. Now slowly try to move it toward your feel without touching it. Now move it back towards your toes.

Top 5 Tips to Help You Take Care of Your Feet

  • After a hectic day at work, soak your feet in warm water mixed with an Epsom walk for at least 10 minutes.
  • Wear comfortable shoes that can offer support to your feet.
  • Before going to bed, stretch your feet on a cold surface and try to open your digits with your fingers.
  • Use moisturizer to stretch the skin and support your feet to retain some flexibility. Make sure you are shedding and removing all the dead skin so that it cannot cause pain later.
  • Bouncing exercises, especially rope skipping, helps you use your fingers and work on the strength of your heels.

Bottom Line

To sum it all up, no matter what kind of workout you choose or how much time you spend on the workout, taking care of your feet post-workout is very important. People usually say that soaking the feet in warm water will especially help relieve the pain and there is no doubt it is true. However, you also need to facilitate the overall recovery time with some extra effort. One of the best methods of helping you improve your recovery is warm-up sessions. Another important thing is to stretch your feet every day after you take off the shoes. So far shoes are known to be one of the most important reasons most people face foot related issues so it is better to wear comfortable shoes if you are going to work or for a walk.

What Is Tensor Fasciae Latae Muscle And Why You Need To Work On It?

In a human body, there are more or less 600 different muscles. Each muscle has its significance and it hardly works individually. Muscles usually work in the form of muscle groups so if one muscle is helping you pull something, it will have support from the other muscles as well. Even a simple task of moving your face, chewing, or smiling requires more than 40 different facial muscles. In the case of gripping and lifting a bag, you will not only be using your arm muscles but also the muscles of your shoulders, wrists, hands, and back. In short, there are so many different muscle groups that we are not even familiar with. In most cases, people think that within their leg there is just one muscle or when they lift something it is just one muscle that is working. In reality, there are two muscles when you lift something. Both these muscles movements are completely different and opposite to one another and yet they complement the movement of each other.

Similarly, when we talk about leg muscles, we simply say thigh muscles. In real life, there are so many different muscles that collectively make a thigh muscle so your thighs can work properly. With the help of this article, we will mainly highlight the importance and function of the Tensor Fasciae Latae Muscle. We will talk about its location and why it is important to train. We will also talk about some simple ways you can work on this muscle.

The Location and Function of Tensor Fasciae Latae Muscle

The Tensor Fasciae Latae Muscle is a thigh muscle. It is a fusiform muscle that is attached at a lateral position with the thigh. If you look at the gluteal region you will see that along with the gluteus maximus, gluteus minimus, and gluteus medius you will also see Tensor Fasciae Latae Muscle. Since this muscle is located at a very significant part of the body it helps in connecting our hind limb to our body. From the basic rotation of your knee, core, and hip it assists in almost all kinds of movement. In fact, without this muscle, you will not be able to stay still because your knee will lose its stability and balance. Tensor Fasciae Latae Muscle helps with walking, running, standing, lifting weight, and even balancing the body weight at a single point. For a buttock workout, you will especially have to focus on this muscle. While working pout, most people forget that you are working on the muscles collectively.

Some of the Best Workouts to Help You Strengthen Your Tensor Fasciae Latae Muscle

Since Tensor Fasciae Latae Muscle is located in the buttock and thigh region and its main purpose is to stabilize the lower body, especially the knee, thigh, and hip region, most of the lower body exercises involve Tensor Fasciae Latae Muscle. It is up to you to choose the exercise that you like, however, there are so many different options to choose from. Some of the simplest Tensor Fasciae Latae Muscle workouts have been listed below:

Tensor Fasciae Latae Muscle stretch

This is the simplest stretch that will not only help you notice if your Tensor Fasciae Latae Muscles are tight but also you will be able to see if it will impact your movement. You will lay down on your bed and let your legs hang down like you are sitting. Now lift your left leg and pull it closer to the chest till it touches your chest. Keep it there and see if you feel the tension or pain. In case you feel the pain, you might have to start working on your Tensor Fasciae Latae Muscle.

Hula-Hoop Stretch

This is a simple stretch that will help you move your hip from left to right. However, if you have a hula-hoop, this workout can turn into a good activity as well. You just have to carry it on for five minutes.

Side Low Hanging Lunge

Most people lift their legs fully on the side to stretch their legs. However with the side low hanging lunge, you will have to get into a side lunge position but instead of lifting your leg, you need to leave it hanging. As you leave it hanging try to touch the floor with the toe and change the position after 30 seconds.

Bottom Line

To sum it all up, you will see a different kind of exercise. You will have combination exercises that will allow you to work on multiple muscles at a time so you do not have to think about the exact location of these muscles. Apart from this, there are isolation exercises that will help you target just one muscle so you can train that muscle only. However, the aim of the workout clearly defines how your workout will eventually impact the way you work. Most people choose combination exercises because it helps burn more calories so they can easily spend less time. Apart from this, while selecting your workout, do not end up overworking because these muscles are sensitive and you will need to know when you are pushing the limits of your body.