Quick and Easy Ways to Get Better Balance, Stability, and Improved Athletic Performance
A majority of our waking hours include being on our feet. Whether it’s walking, running, exercising, or even just standing in place, we spend a lot of time on our feet. When we talk about overall balance and stability, the foot/ankle complex plays a large role in making sure we don’t fall over. With over 70 muscles, bones, and joints in each foot and ankle, it is imperative that we incorporate isolated training protocols to ensure our feet are working optimally and efficiently.
Throughout this article, I will highlight key components of a foot and ankle routine that should be incorporated on a daily basis. These include increasing sensory reception of our feet and increasing intrinsic muscle activation.
Sensory Reception
Whether you know it or not, your feet are always adapting and adjusting to the environment around you. Thousands of small adjustments are made at all times to maintain balance. This is done in part by small receptors throughout your foot that send signals to the brain. It is imperative to stimulate your feet continuously to ensure they are always ready to adapt.
A quick and easy way to do this daily is to roll out the bottom of your foot with a ball. Using a golf ball, tennis ball, or even a baseball will help increase sensory reception in the bottom of your foot, improving balance and stability throughout the day.
Intrinsic Muscle Activation
Now that you’ve increased the sensory reception of your foot, it's essential to promote activation of the small intrinsic foot muscles that assist with stability. A simple way to achieve this is by practicing single-leg balance exercises while barefoot.
Standing on one leg barefoot challenges your foot's ability to adapt to changes. Aim to perform 1-2 sets of single-leg balance for as long as possible each day.
With just a few simple exercises completed consistently, you can improve the way your feet and ankles adapt to the surfaces around you. This can lead to better balance, stability, and even improved athletic performance. For a complete foot/ankle stability routine, check out the BodyFit app.