How to Exercise All Those Little Leg Muscles You Forgot (and Why You Should)
It’s easy to train visible muscles – biceps, quads – but there are more muscles in your body than just big ones. Earlier we talked about the muscles in your arms and forearms , which help you to firmly hold your hand in your hand, but today I would like to draw your attention to your feet.
Your feet contain more small muscles than you might think , including four separate layers of them on the soles of your feet. These “internal” muscles help support the arch of the foot, move the toes, and more.
If you do a variety of exercises, your feet and lower leg muscles are likely to get a lot of work. But it doesn’t hurt to give them a few minutes of special attention – and if you’re running or need extra leg support in an exercise like yoga, you may find that some leg exercises can help you with that. your other activities.
Try yoga for your feet
Yoga can focus on how our body is working, strengthening and stretching muscles in ways we don’t normally think. Fortunately, Adrienne (from Yoga with Adrienne) has a yoga technique for the legs , so you can follow it and study all those little muscles in the foot.
Do a strength workout for your legs
If yoga is not your style, you can do leg exercises in sets and reps.This video from PodiumRunner will show you some of them. One that might strike you if you’ve never thought of your arch as a muscle: Stand with your feet flat on the ground, then pull the arch up, making the trail shorter and the climb higher. You have muscles that do it! You can sign a contract on purpose! Amazing.
Squeeze the towel
One exercise not mentioned above is towel release. Place a tea towel on the ground, place your toes on top of it, then (while sitting or standing) squeeze your toes to collect the towel. Repeat until the entire towel is under your feet.
It’s fun because you can actually download it. Place a small weight, such as a water bottle, on the opposite end of the towel to make it harder to pull.
Run on uneven ground
The real function of our legs is to support us as we do other things in life, so don’t feel like you’re limited to just doing targeted leg exercises on your own. When going for a run or even jogging on the sand or grass, you will constantly force your legs to support you in different angles and positions. If you have a place where you can safely run barefoot, try this as well.