Exercises and Stretches to Support Feet and Back

Every step you take can affect your back. Strong, healthy feet effectively absorb shock and prevent impacts from traveling up to the rest of the body. Stretching exercises for the feet can help reduce fatigue and tension. Since your ankles are directly connected to the feet, strengthening and stretching the surrounding muscles can be greatly beneficial. 

Are you suffering from sore, achy feet? Maybe you have plantar fasciitis and experience regular heel pain. Consider these exercises to stretch the feet, including the plantar fascia.

Toe extension:

1. Sit on the floor with the right leg crossed over the left.
2. Grasp the toes on your right foot with one hand and flex your foot, gently pulling your toes upward. You should feel a gentle stretch but no pain. The stretch should be felt in the arch of the foot and the calf.
3. Use your free hand to gently massage your foot arch as you hold the position for 10 seconds.
4. Spend up to three minutes on your right foot before switching to the left.

You can do this stretch two to four times daily. Doing this in the morning upon waking can help reduce plantar fasciitis pain.

Ice massage arch roll:

1. Prepare by freezing an 8-ounce bottle of water.
2. Rest one foot on the frozen water bottle while seated with your shoe off. You can wear thin socks if you wish.
3. Gently roll your foot back and forth over the bottle for three to five minutes per foot. Make sure you roll the entire foot over the water bottle, from the heel to the base of the toes.

You can do this twice daily or whenever you need relief from sore or cramped arches. This exercise works by decreasing inflammation as well as gently stretching arch tendons. It is also a great exercise to do at work. You can place the water bottle under your desk.

Your Achilles tendon is right above your heel on the back of your lower leg. It's what allows you to point and flex your feet and push off the ground. Tightness in the back of the leg can lead to problems. Keeping the area limber can help.

Standing calf stretch:

1. Place both of your hands on a wall or chair for support as you step your right leg behind you. Be sure to keep the heel firmly on the floor and direct your toes straight ahead.
2. Bend the left knee toward the wall or chair while keeping your back leg straight.
3. Gently lean your body toward the wall or chair until you feel slight tension or a stretching sensation in the calf. Ease off immediately if you experience any discomfort.
4. Hold this position for 30 seconds and then return to the original position. Repeat two more times and then switch legs. You can do this routine twice daily.

This exercise can also be performed with a bent knee in the back, impacting the Soleus, a postural muscle that connects to the Achilles tendon as well.

Stretching exercises for the feet and most specifically, for the arches or the inside area of the bottom of the feet, can be especially helpful for individuals with flat feet or fallen arches. 

The Legs, hips and glutes all help support the lower back and core. 

Tight hamstrings can contribute to lower back pain by limiting hip movement and tugging on the pelvis. Regular stretching can help loosen hamstrings.

Wall hamstring stretch:

1. Place a yoga mat on the floor under a door frame or along the corner of a wall.
2. Lie down so that your left leg is flat on the mat and the right leg is propped up against the wall with your heel gently resting against the wall and your knee slightly bent.
3. Straighten the right leg until you feel a gentle stretch in the back of your right thigh.
4. Hold for 30 seconds and then return to the original position with the right knee slightly bent.

Do up to 10 reps on each side.

If your hip flexors are tight, they may have a tendency to cause lower back pain. Regular hip stretches can help reduce tension and strain on the lower back.

Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch:

1. Using a yoga mat, start in a kneeling position on the floor. Bend your right leg and place it in front of you so that your right thigh parallel is to the floor.
2. Confirm that your knee is bent at a 90-degree angle and your right foot is flat on the floor.
3. Place your hands on your right knee.
4. Contract your glutes until you feel your pelvis tucking under you.
5. Keeping your back straight, shift your weight forward until you feel a gentle stretch in your left hip.

Do six reps on each side.

Good core strength can help support and stabilize the spine. This may lead to a reduction in lower back pain.