Here are some basic foot and ankle warm-up exercises to help wake up your feet and proprioception and balance. These are great exercises to do before you run or walk. Help prevent injury!
Hello, I’m Taylor McCabe, physiotherapist here at Body Works Sports Physiotherapy in North Vancouver. For all you Vancouver Sun Run hopefuls out there, here are three quick warm-up drills you can do. These will enhance the proprioception in your feet and get them warmed up and ready to run.
1. Fingers between toes
- Interlace the web spaces of your fingers and toes together
- Gently move around the joints and the ball of your foot, as well as your ankle.
- Try it for as many directions and movement as you can
2. Waking up the sensation in your feet using different kinds of touch
- Tapping, stroking, and rubbing.
- Try to get all the different surfaces of your feet and ankles.
3. The inch worm
- Try to walk your foot like an inchworm along the ground
- Bring your heels towards your toes and your toes away from your heels.
- Take about 8 to 10 inchworm steps, then you can give it a shake out and repeat.
Go through all of those on your other foot, then you can lace up your runners and continue with your regular dynamic warm up. Have a good run!