Foot and Ankle Strength Workout

Foot and Ankle Workout (FAW)

This workout is to be done barefoot.

1.       Do your usual warm up jog of a few minutes, barefoot preferable, followed by dynamic stretching routine.

2.       ABC’s:  Standing Tall and strong, Extend one leg straight in front of you about 6 inches off the ground and draw the alphabet with your toe using only your ankle joint to move.  First Upper case then lower.  Repeat with the other leg.  Then go back to the first leg and draw the alphabet keeping your whole leg straight and moving from your hip joint so your whole leg is a giant imaginary pen.

3.       Heel/ Toe Walking: Keeping your legs take 20 steps on your toes then 20 steps on your heels.

4.       Toe Taps: Standing tall and strong, raise all of your toes off the ground as high as you can while keeping the rest of your foot on the ground.   Tap only your big toe while keeping your other toes off the ground 50 times.  Then keep your big toe raised while you tap only your other toes 50 times. 

5.       Toe Squats: Standing tall and strong, do 15-20 double leg squats with your heels off the ground.  Keep your upper body as up right as you can so that your chest is facing forwards not down.

6.       Single Leg Support: All of the following should be done on one leg on your toes.  Keep your core engaged with your hips under you.

a.       Stationary Support: Simply stand on one leg on your toes.  Hold for one minute.  Repeat for the other leg.

b.      Knee Drives: Standing on leg on your toes drive your other leg forward so that you end in a good high knee runners pose.  Repeat 12 times. Then repeat with the other leg.

c.       Fire Hydrants: Standing on one leg on your toes bend your other leg at the knee and raise it out to the side like a dog would at a fire hydrant.  Repeat 12 times each leg.

d.      Drunken Flamingos: Standing on one leg on your toes slowly lean to your left and right so that you have to work to keep your balance.  Go back and forth between the two sides stopping in the middle before going to the other side.  Do 10 on each leg. 

7.       Negative Calf Raises:  Stand on the edge of a stair on the ball of your foot with your legs straight.  Lower your heels as far as you can over a slow two count.  Your movement should be very smooth as you lower yourself.  Fight the drop.  Return to normal.  Do 7 with your toes forward, 7 toes out, 7 toes in.