NEDERLAND — Our feet are the foundation of everything we do, supporting us through everyday movement, play, and athletics.

Foot pain affects one out of three people over age 45. Whether it’s plantar fasciitis, bunions, Morton’s neuroma, Achilles tendonitis, or hammertoes, the list of potential causes is extensive.

Each foot has 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments (if you include the lower leg muscles that control foot movement). When it comes to walking, hiking, running, any kind of human locomotion, we must look at three things in the feet:

1. Mobility

2. Strength

3. Mechanics

Most people with chronic or recurring foot pain are missing one of these three things.

Mobility: As we walk, our foot pronates (flattens) to absorb and supinates (arches) to push off. You can think of the feet like a trampoline, moving with each step. Our big toe needs to move as well. Daily walking requires about 30° to 45° of big toe extension during push-off. High-impact activities like running, sprinting, and deep lunges demand 60° to 90° to support longer strides and heavier loads.

Strength: Toe strength deficits have been proven to correlate with chronic plantar fasciitis, falls in the elderly, and impaired athletic performance.

Mechanics: How your feet move and feel directly affects how you move. Sensory nerves in the feet send constant feedback to the brain, which then dictates movement. Ultimately, your feet are part of an interconnected system designed to move as one.

Here are tips and exercises you can start doing right now to improve the mobility, strength, and mechanics of your feet—and find relief from foot pain.

1. Take off your shoes. If you’ve ever had a limb in a cast, you know how small and atrophied it looked the day the cast came off. Our feet are no different, and shoes can act like a cast or a walking boot doing all the work for your feet. By taking off your shoes and walking barefoot, you allow the foot and toes to spread, move and build strength.

2. Build foot mobility by rolling your sole and spreading your toes. Use a tennis or lacrosse ball to massage the arch of your foot. Ideally, your toes spread out so they are the widest part of your foot. Consider using toe spacers if your toes are constantly touching.

3. Barefoot heel raises (aka calf raises). Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and hands on a wall or counter for balance. Press down through the ball of your big toe to lift your heels straight up as high as possible, holding at the top for a brief pause. Slowly lower your heels back to the ground over 2 to 3 seconds, keeping the movement controlled without using momentum. To increase the difficulty, stand on the edge of a step.

4. Check your shoes. Your shoes should feature a wide toe box—respecting your foot's natural anatomy so your feet can function and move as intended.

Your shoes should feature a wide toe box, respecting your foot's natural anatomy.

Photo Courtesy of Alison Powers

 Every step we take starts with how our foot lands and then pushes off the ground. With improved foot mobility, strength, and mechanics, we are able to move more balanced, pain free and strong.

Alison Powers wants people to have confidence in their physical abilities no matter where they are in life. She is a certified Personal Trainer & Corrective Exercise Specialist through NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine). She is a former professional downhill skier and cyclist. Today, she is the Nederland High School Mountain Bike Team coach and has her own training center, the Indian Peaks Training Center. Learn more at iptrainingcenter.com or email Alison Powers at apowbike@gmail.com.