Buen Physical Therapy

Why Your Feet & Ankles Matter

Every time you run, your feet and ankles absorb and produce force. They help you handle impact, maintain balance, and transfer force between the ground and the rest of your body.

Strong and adaptable feet and ankles can help you handle the repetitive demands of running. The goal is not to have "perfect" feet or perfect running mechanics. The goal is to build enough capacity to tolerate the demands you place on your body.

The below exercises are a sample of an overall ankle and foot strengthening program. I've provided four exercises below that will help build a wide variety of strength and stability in the ankle, but they are not a substitute for individualized care.

If you follow this program for 1-2 months, performing them for 2x a week on your workout days (keep your easy runs easy), you will likely see improvements in your ankle and foot strength and stability. You will feel a more powerful landing and push-off in your stride. The most important thing is that the strengthening exercises must be challenging and performed with proper form, technique. If you are performing the exercises slowly and with control, you will maximize the benefits.

The muscles of the lower leg

There are 13 muscles in the lower leg that play a role in running performance and stability.

See in the video above how the muscles of the lower leg contract together to control the foot and ankle during running.
The muscles of the lower leg are responsible for absorbing impact, controlling the foot and ankle, and producing force during push-off.

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The exercises below are designed to help address weakness, improve local joint endurance, and reduce pain.

Specificity is essential for achieving the maximum result.

When performing resistance exercises, control the weight or resistance throughout the entire movement. Avoid rushing, bouncing, or relying on momentum.

Perform both the upward and downward portions of each repetition slowly and with precise technique. As a general guideline:

Upward phase: 2-3 seconds
Downward phase: 4-5 seconds

Focus on maintaining good form and controlling every part of the movement. The goal is not simply to move the weight, but to build specific muscular support and local joint endurance that carry over to running.

Movements