Is your balance off, or do you feel like your feet are weak and your balance is off?
Weak feet and poor balance can lead to a variety of issues. The weakness allows for overpronating and poor alignment of the lower leg during your stride. The result? A loss of power at push-off and an increased chance for developing pain, soreness, and stiffness.
So how do you strengthen your feet and ankles for a long and healthy running career? Well, it’s not by using exercise bands or tubing — you need to use runner-specific exercise.
Below are three runner-specific exercises to improve foot and ankle strength. Each exercise is a staple movement throughout my injury recovery plans and RunSmart strength workouts.
Give them a try and ask yourself:
- Can I do five reps of each without losing balance?
- Do my right and left leg feel similar?
- Can I reach the same distance on each side?
If your answer is “no” to any bullet, there’s a good chance you have an imbalance, weakness, or tightness that will slow you down or causing injury.
