Are Your Feet Running Fit?

It’s not just your body that needs TLC after a run. Go the distance with these therapeutic foot stretches

- Mary Comber

Did you know that an incredible 25 per cent of all the bones in your body are found below your ankle? No, we didn’t either! It’s just one reason that it’s so important to take care of your feet – especially if you’re a runner. Despite carrying us through our life and workouts, our feet are often over-looked and neglected. Cue the foot problems most of us experience at some point, from dry skin and athletes’ foot to bunions and foot injuries.

STRETCH IT OUT

If you’re a regular runner, it’s likely you probably give your feet a bit of TLC, cutting nails, buffing skin and treating blisters. But there’s one key tactic you may be forgetting… stretching. Yup, it’s not just your glutes and calves that need regular flexibility work.

‘For runners and anyone training regularly, stretching for the feet is crucial,’ says Tracy Byrne, podiatrist and clinical director for Footner (myfootner.co.uk). ‘The larger muscles and soft tissues of the leg are connected to the structures of the foot, so it’s crucial these are stretched, too!’