Today, I would like to emphasize–once again–the importance of training the foot and ankle complex, as well as share a few simple exercises you can incorporate into your daily routine.

Take a moment to think about this: if you’ve spent any significant time training in the gym, chances are the vast majority of your work has focused on muscles above the ankles, and probably mostly above the waist. What many people don’t realize is that 25% of the bones, muscles, and ligaments in the human body are located below the ankle. That’s a huge percentage for such a small part of our structure!

Decades ago, long before the rise of bodybuilding and powerlifting in the ’60s and ’70s, training methods like calisthenics naturally included more athletic components: Barefoot running, jumping, and squatting on the balls of the feet. Look at wrestling and various forms of mixed martial arts—nearly all are done barefoot. These athletes are able to match the power and strength of their legs and upper bodies with the strength and mobility of their feet.

The foot is supposed to be highly mobile and sensitive. But as we’ve evolved, and as shoe technology has advanced, our feet have become increasingly desensitized and weak. Modern footwear is often over-engineered and overly stylized, with narrow toe boxes that distort the natural shape of the foot (bunions, anyone?). You’ve probably heard of “flat feet,” but did you know that this condition often results from wearing shoes that don’t allow proper foot movement? Over time, the arches weaken and lose their ability to function.

If you’ve spent long hours in dress shoes, high heels, cleats, narrow-toe running shoes, or even stylish sneakers like Vans or Converse, you’ve likely noticed foot fatigue or pain by the end of the day. That discomfort is your body telling you something: your feet are losing their ability to move, stabilize, and support you.

So, why do we have you doing barefoot warm-ups and exercises? To restore the function of your arches!

Rolling, stretching, and actively using your toes can help:
-Strengthen your arches
-Improve proprioception (your body’s sense of balance and position)
-Increase blood circulation
-Enhance foot sensitivity
-Create better leverage for lifts like squats, lunges, and deadlifts

Your feet should be just as mobile and responsive as your hands. Back in the primal era, early humans didn’t have footwear—and yet they could walk and run for miles, climb, and even grasp with their feet when necessary.

So how can you improve foot function?

We’ve gone through quite a few foot-strengthening drills during our classes, but here are some simple exercises you can do at home while watching TV:

1. Short Foot Exercise
-Stand with your foot flat on the ground.
-Slowly lift the arch of your foot without lifting your toes or heel off the ground. Think about “doming” your arch.
-Make sure your weight stays evenly distributed and your toes are spread wide– not curled.
-Hold the arch lift for 2–3 seconds, then relax.
-Repeat for 20 reps. Over time, work up to 50–60 reps.

2. Toe Extension & Splay
-Start with your foot relaxed and flat on the floor.
-First, set your arch using the Short Foot movement.
-Then, raise and spread all five toes apart as wide as possible, while keeping your heel and ball of the foot down.
-Return to the starting position.
-Repeat for 10 reps.

3. Controlled Pronation/Supination
-Stand with both feet flat on the floor and your arches lightly lifted (using the Short Foot technique).
-Slowly roll your weight to the outside edge of your feet (supinate) without letting your knees turn outward.
-Then roll your weight to the inside edges of your feet (pronate), again keeping your knees stable and aligned.
-Focus on controlling the movement through your feet only, not your hips or knees.
-Repeat for 20 reps.

4. Big Toe Stretch
-Kneel on the floor and tuck your toes underneath so they’re pressing into the ground at a 90-degree angle (like a “toe squat”).
-Slowly sit your hips back toward your heels until you feel a gentle stretch in the soles of your feet, especially the big toes.
-Hold for 30–60 seconds, breathing deeply.
-This should feel like a stretch– not pain. Ease off if it’s too intense.

5. Calf & Tibialis Raises
Calf Raises: Stand on a step or platform, with the balls of your feet on the edge and your heels hanging off.
-Raise your heels up as high as possible, hold for 1 second at the top.
-Then slowly lower your heels below the step level with control.
-Repeat for 20–30 reps.

Tibialis Raises: Stand with your back against a wall, feet about 2 feet away, legs straight.
-Keeping your heels on the ground, lift your toes up toward your knees as high as you can.
-Hold for 1–2 seconds, then slowly lower them.
-Repeat for 20–30 reps.
 

Give these exercises a try this week and let me know what you think. If you do these every day for 30 days I can guarantee your feet, along with other parts of your body will thank you. 

Yours in Movement,

Nick, Tom, and Hunter