I really, really hope someone is reading this... !
Here I am, and here I intend staying, bringing some ideas and tips to this great forum.
I am going to be posting some quick ideas, simple, and I hope, easily understandable exercises, for us over the next month. They are not highly complicated, require minimum equipment, other than yourselves, and will I hope be of some use to us!
This post starts at the bottom...!! No... not that one!
Your feet!! My feet... Our feet!
They are, without a doubt the most vital pieces of our running gear, and yet, they are so often forgotten,and because of that neglected.
These are ideas I have found useful, not highly technical or scientific... they just work for me!
So, for any new runners and as a reminder to those of us further along the path...
The first step....( Hopefully we have all read the guidelines about our shoes in the FAQ for new runners..on C25K), but, just in case...
Shoes
Ill-fitting running shoes are not good, They have the potential for all manner of issues, causing numbness, blisters etc, etc.
If your shoes are too small and tight for your feet, they can damage toenails , etc etc.
Shoes that are too narrow in the forefoot can lead to pinched-nerve pain, corns, calluses or bunions. And shoes that are too wide will allow your feet to slide around, causing friction that can lead to blisters.
Socks
No matter how well your running shoes fit, socks can make a big difference, also.
If your socks don’t fit properly, they too can can cause problems.
So.... having taken that first step...
Looking after our feet with some simple footwork!
My personal favourite... before I even get out of bed;
I swing my legs out of bed.. and massage everything from the knee down...to the tune of... Head and shoulders knees and toes... ( I kid you not).
Knees and ankles,
Calves and toes
Calves and toes...
It gets all the blood moving and by the time you start to walk to the bathroom, everything is ready to go. (My Nan did this, every morning,... and was still walking up and down two flights of stairs, comfortably, when she was 98).
I digress...
Basic quick exercises...
1. Wiggling and clenching your toes.
This can help to strengthen the plantar fascia (one of the main muscles which goes along the sole of the foot.)
2. Try to pick up a pencil with your toes
This is fun, but can be tricky depending on the strength of your feet.
3. Take your shoes and socks off and try to ‘walk’
Walk (or move yourself forward) just by clenching and un-clenching your toes. You won’t go very far or very fast, but it will strengthen your feet very nicely.
Be sensible and don’t do too much. If you feel any pain, stop!
To keep this short and sweet.. some simple exercises for the ankles.
I have been doing these for a while as Realfoodieclub has... again, simple and effective. For me they were to try and improve my ankle strength for trail running They have.
Hi Floss! Thank you for this. I must confess, I haven’t yet started doing the S&F 😳 but I know I should, alongside the C25k. Love these tips for the feet, and having been suffering a bit with mine, I can confirm that without strong feet, running is going to be a bit tricky! So I’m going to make more of an effort 👍🏻
I just got mine on Amazon - it’s a wooden PhysioRoom one. I like it because the bit that sticks out is round rather than some I saw that were just cubes. I thought it would be gentler and more of an all-round stretch/strengthen. I don’t really know anything about them, but I’m very happy with this - seems solid and well made and has good non-slip on too 👍🏻
Great tips from you regarding shoes and socks, when I got my gait analysis I was advised to get a shoe one size up on my normal shoe size.
Size 7 is my normal shoe size, I got size 8 proper running shoes with a pair of HillyTwin Skin ultimate anti blister socks. They are very comfortable to run.
Was that the Half Marathon that runners ran along the seafront being drenched not just by rain but by seawater splashing over the sea wall and hitting the runners on their backs? sounds awful, apparently, they were being battered by seashells coming over the sea wall as well.
Nice, thanks. I can’t wait until you get to the knees 😊
Having just had my four months on the couch with a stress fracture of my foot, I for one now really appreciate just how many 'bits' there are in my feet that need stretching, strengthening and warming up before I go running! Only I learned the hard way
Caroline Jordan has a lot of foot exercises on youtube if you want some variety. Toe yoga - lift big toe while pressing the four smaller toes to the floor, then lifting the four small toes while pressing the big toe into the floor, is something I absolutely could not do at first. I'm improving slowly! That keeps the toes flexible and you can feel it stretching and strengthening through the arch too. I also do the toe grabbers you mention (though without the pencil, I just curl and straighten toes in the air). Prior to starting these exercises my toes were super inflexible, particularly on the injured foot. Who knew it was so important! For ankle mobility (rather than strength per se), writing the alphabet in the air with your big toe (all movement coming from the ankle and toe, not the knee or leg), is an easy one to do while sitting watching TV
These are excellent oldfloss, really they are....it’s so easy to just go run, come back and get on with your day with no pre or post stretches....then wonder, the day after, why it hurts??!!! Stretching is so important, this is just the reminder that we need xx
P.S. I find that I start to ache in my old joints if I DON'T run. I'll bet that those who are as old as I am understand this and have experienced it, too. Truly!
About 5 years ago(!) I remembered skipping as a child and tried to do it, but my legs didn't remember how. I had to re-teach them and now I do it for a few steps every now and then. Really! I was surprised my legs had forgotten!
If it works for you, with no extras then that is fine...But, if you feel the need. or for some reason your body tells you it needs them, then the simple exercises are available
I started at 65, and i have just increased and developed my daily routines over the years
Going to jump on and start trying out your routines.
Fabulous Floss, beautifully written, simple and essential.
Will take the time to follow up on all the links also.
Really looking forward to this.Your knowledge and teaching abilities are inspiring .Promise you will not work too hard.Your contribution is already off the scale.
Just tried the toe yoga sun salutation 🤣 I can only move all 5 toes at once. If I concentrate REALLY hard I can raise just the big toe on right foot a teeny tiny bit. To raise the other toes I have to hold my big toe down. Some practice required me thinks 🤣🤣🤣
Spot on! (As ever. 👍) Adding these into my day immediately. 😄👍👣 I fancy some of the recommended exercises could usefully be done while nibbling my piece of cake, even! 😄
I'd just like to add that although we all pay attention to our running footwear we should pay attention to all our shoes too.
I'm suffering just now as my last work shoes wore out really badly leaving me zero support underfoot but now the replacements are too big and I'm getting major pain whilst waiting for yet another pair! Any shoes we spend any decent amount of time in really need to be right.
Plus my new trail shoes just aren't right, my poor feet! I'm massaging extra every day and my sports massage included a good foot session too!
Oooh just remembered too... there was a piece on BBC Sussex radio advising against wearing slippers at home as they can encourage a shuffling gait. They actually recommended trainers or supportive footwear especially as we get older. 🤔
I’ve got Birkenstock slippers Jo, do you think they’d be ok? I hate normal slippers. If not, they’re coming off (but I don’t think I could go without socks, it’s too cold!!) 😊
So long as your foot is properly supported and its not encouraging a shuffle like say flip flips do you should be ok. Sometimes slippers are cosy but it's definitely something to bear in mind!
Yeah, definitely, thanks! My slippers aren’t cosy. They did have a fleece lining but it’s all worn off so they’re like normal Birkenstocks now (i.e very supportive) No ‘soft shoe shuffle’ here if I can ever avoid it 👍
Thanks Floss! Just what I needed. Great to have video & web links. Never thought of massaging my lower legs but will start tomorrow - I really suffer from stiff ankles first thing in the morning!
Great stuff..think the song... Head, shoulders knees and toes... only...Calves, ankles, knees and toes Rotate the ankles too.. and do happy feet, ( toes up) and sad feet ) toes down !
This sounds awful but I never thought of exercising my feet Floss! 🤦🏻♀️ I have arthritis in my right toes so I think it will be a very good idea. Thank you for this 😀x
I suppose if they shout at you enough you notice them more. I don’t really like touching my feet (too tickly!!) but I do massage ccs cream into them each day. I suppose that’s better than nothing.
I think because I always went around barefoot as a child and ran barefoot, ( until the spike incident in a race) I have quite tough feet... but have always looked after them.
Just wanted to leave a link to a fab rehab routine I've been following for the last few days. I hadn't realised just how 'out of condition' my feet and ankles had become since the stress fracture 5 months ago. As soon as I started to run, various muscles/ligaments/tendons went ping! This simple routine is working my feet really well, and is an amazing warm up before a run for these early rebuilding runs youtu.be/vz2ZELsr0dQ
This is great, thank you for the link to the forum from C25K I been looking for advice especially for my ankles and this is brilliant, full of really useful tips
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