Another exercise for foot arch strengthening

[Daniel W. Rouse Jr.]

This is another exercise for foot arch strengthening. Prevents arch weakness
and soreness from longer walks, not just barefoot but also for times when
shoes need to be worn.

1. Using drumsticks and a drum practice pad, find the balance point of the
drumstick where it bounces the most.
2. No need for the drum practice pad after step 1.
3. Place the drumsticks between the big toe and the second toe at the
balance point of the stick.
4. Scrunch the toes as hard as possible to grip the drumstick and make the
maximum possible arch of the foot when the toes are scrunched.
5. Relax the toes, leaving the drumstick in between the toes for the next
repetition.
6. If the drumstick moves out of the balance point, reposition it before the
next repetition.

Repeat until the arch is too cramped to do any more repetitions comfortably.
Some soreness between the big toe and the second toe is also expected, but
significant bruising between the toes should not occur. The larger the
drumstick, the more difficult the repetitions are to complete--as one such
example 7A is easier than 5B, because 7A is thinner than 5B.

[Daniel W. Rouse Jr.]

"Daniel W. Rouse Jr." <dwro...@nethere.comNOSPAM> wrote in message
news:jcidnWDtTYCsqyDO...@o1.com...

> This is another exercise for foot arch strengthening. Prevents arch
> weakness and soreness from longer walks, not just barefoot but also for
> times when shoes need to be worn.
>
> 1. Using drumsticks and a drum practice pad, find the balance point of the
> drumstick where it bounces the most.
> 2. No need for the drum practice pad after step 1.
> 3. Place the drumsticks between the big toe and the second toe at the
> balance point of the stick.

An more challenging version of this exercise is to do it one foot at a time
and spread all toes using the sticks. For me, I can fit 5B size sticks for
the gap between the big toe and second toe, and the gap between the second
toe and third toe. The other two gaps I have to use 7A size sticks. It
doesn't matter if the sticks cross over or under each other--it's more
important that the toes are spread to the maximum possible

> 4. Scrunch the toes as hard as possible to grip the drumstick and make the
> maximum possible arch of the foot when the toes are scrunched.

When doing the more challenging version--I arch the foot foot first without
scrunching the toes, then scrunch the toes. Having the sticks in the gaps
between all the toes will limit the amount the toes can be scrunched, but
that's still exercise for the toes trying to scrunch them as much as
possible.

> 5. Relax the toes, leaving the drumstick in between the toes for the next
> repetition.

When doing the more challenging version, I don't relax but move the toes as
far back as possible, this also exercises both the arch and the toes.

> 6. If the drumstick moves out of the balance point, reposition it before
> the next repetition.
>

When doing the more challenging version, it's less likely that one will move
out of the balance point; however, it's possible one might fall out of the
gap if it wasn't put all the way in a gap between the toes. Put it back in
the gap and continue.

> Repeat until the arch is too cramped to do any more repetitions
> comfortably. Some soreness between the big toe and the second toe is also
> expected, but significant bruising between the toes should not occur. The
> larger the drumstick, the more difficult the repetitions are to
> complete--as one such example 7A is easier than 5B, because 7A is thinner
> than 5B.

My arch has become strong enough so that 50 repetitions of even the more
challenging version is doable without cramping, but at 50 repetitions is
when I start feeling a bruised toe feeling from the sticks pressing against
the sides of the toes. At that point, I switch to exercising the other foot,
and that gives enough time for any bruised toe feeling to go away.

Like other foot exercises--none of these will make a higher arch, but
they'll strengthen an existing arch.