Toe Curls
- To strengthen arch muscles, place a towel on the floor, grab the towel with your toes and pull it towards you.
- Stretch one foot at a time.
- Change Sides after you are done.
Soleus Stretch
- To stretch deep calf muscles, stand with the left foot in front of the right but apart (ie step stance) with the toes pointing forward.
- Bend both knees until you feel a stretch at the base of the calf.
Remember to maintain a neutral foot position (i.e do not allow the arch of the foot to collapse or roll inwards and make sure that your knee drops over your middle toe, not the big toe).
Bent-Leg Hamstring Stretch
Bent leg hamstring stretch on the back targets the muscle fibres closer to the hip whereas the straight leg hamstring stretch targets the fibres nearer the knee.
- Lie on your back and pull the leg over keeping the knee very slightly bent until a gentle stretch is felt at the back of the leg.
- Again this should not be painful.
- Perform 3 sets of 10 seconds once or twice a day.