Ankles

Supported Step March: Arch Control

A small, precise exercise that wakes up the muscles inside your foot, building the arch support that steadies your ankle with every step.

How to do it

1. 1

   Sit with one foot flat on the floor

   Sit on a chair or on the floor with the knee bent over the ankle and the whole sole of the foot in contact with the ground.

2. 2

   Keep your toes long and relaxed

   The toes stay flat and soft on the floor, doing nothing at all. Everything that follows happens without them.

3. 3

   Draw the ball of your foot towards the heel

   Shorten the distance between the ball of the foot and the heel so the arch quietly domes upwards. It is a small movement and may be barely visible.

4. 4

   Hold the dome briefly, then release completely

   Hold for a few seconds, breathe, then let the foot go fully soft before the next one.

5. 5

   Work for 30 to 60 seconds on each foot

   Repeat at an comfortable pace. Keep the effort gentle if the sole of the foot is sensitive at the moment, and once this is comfortable sitting down it can be practised standing.

What to watch for

Curling the toes to make an arch appear, which is exactly what this exercise is trying to avoid. If the toes claw or lift off the floor, the effort is too big, so make it smaller.

Ways to adjust it

• Seated
• Gentle effort if plantar fascia is acute

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.