Lift (and Lower) Your Toes

With toes pointing straight ahead, align the outside edges of your feet to make them parallel to each other.

Shift the weight of your body back into your heels.

To test your ability to use your toe muscles independently, lift the big toe(s) straight up while keeping all the other toes down. Lift both big toes (as in the photo) or one at a time.

If your big toe veers off toward your pinkie toe, you can reach down and gently coax the toe to lift straight up. Keep practicing until your toe can do this without the help of your hand.

Lift and lower a few times.

Repeat this exercise throughout the day with or without shoes on. You'll know that your shoes are too tight if you can't do the exercise while wearing them.

Once you're good at lifting and lowering your big toes, try it with each of your other toes.

Lift and lower the second piggie, third piggie, fourth and fifth. Strengthen your ability to use the muscles of each toe independently.

Even if you can't seem to separate one toe from the other (yet), keep trying. Reach down and give those piggies some help. You can use your fingers to press down on the toes you want to stay down while you use your muscles to lift the toes you want to lift. Feel all that tension and how some parts of your feet are stuck to other parts?

Keep trying while your brain makes the connections it needs to get those toes moving.

Have you noticed how shifting your body weight into your heels makes it easier to lift your toes? That move also builds leg and butt muscles for whole body health. Shift your weight back often throughout the day.

Find more ideas for better movement in my weekly emails.