14 Best Feet and Ankle Stretches and Exercises for Running

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Why are feet and ankle stretches and exercises so important for running?

ankle stretches

Normally when you think about muscles and running, you think about your glutes and quads. While these muscles are very important, it is important that you don’t forget the important supporting muscles and joints. It is very important that you know the proper feet and ankle stretches and exercises to help.

According to Colorado-based personal trainer, Penny Hamilton, “Working the muscles in your feet develops your ability to transfer energy from the landing to the push-off, which helps you go farther with less fatigue.” Additional developing these muscles “you need to prevent overuse injuries from high-mileage workouts.”[1]Active – 4 Exercises to Strengthen Ankles

Generally, you should add foot and ankle stretches and exercises to your fitness running routine at least two times per week. These workouts should be at least 2 days after a long run or speed workday.

When you start out, you can use shoes. However, as the exercises get easier for you, consider taking off your shoes to work the little muscles in your feet and better strengthen all the little muscles in your feet.

The Importance of Feet and Ankle Stretches and Warm-Ups

Warming up is very important before running or doing any athletic activities.

This is especially true for running and your feet and ankles. In fact, ankle sprains are one of the most common and preventable running injuries.

With a proper warm-up, you can get many benefits including:[2]Very well fit – Ankle Warm-Up Exercises

  • Decreased injury risk
  • Better range of motion
  • Improved neuromuscular control
  • Improved blood flow and blood circulation

Not to mention that with the proper feet and ankle stretches and warm-up, you will be able to better perform and get the best benefits from your workouts!

ankle stretches

The Monopoly Game

What does it do?

The Monopoly Game is a great exercise to work the small muscles of your toes and on the bottom of your feet.[3]Runner’s World – Build Stronger Feet and Ankles

How to do it

  • Place 10 small items on the floor. If you don’t have small Monopoly pieces, you can place marbles.
  • Place a small cup or bowl nearby.
  • Using only your toes, pick up one time off the floor at a time and place it in the small cup/bowl.

Number of repetitions

Aim to pick up 10 items with each foot.

Tips

If this gets a bit boring, get a few friends to join and make it a competition to see who can pick up the items with their toes the quickest!

Balancing Act

What does it do?

This exercise is great for working all the little muscles in your legs that help with balance when running. The main muscles worked are the calves. However, balancing also targets the hip flexors, glutes, outer thighs, quads, and even abs![4]exercise.com – BOSU Ball Single-Leg Balance

How to do it

  • Get an uneven surface such as a balance board, BOSU ball, or wobble board and place it on the floor. [5]Runner’s World – Train Your Ankles
  • Stand on the balancing device with one foot.

Number of repetitions

Stand on each foot for 20 seconds. As you get a better build up the amount of time you stand on each foot to 1 – 2 minutes.

Tips

If balancing on one foot gets too easy for you to try moving around while balancing or closing your eyes to make it a bit more difficult.[6]WebMD – Balance Training

Plantar Stretching

What does it do?

The plantar fascia is a ligament that runs down the bottom of your feet. It helps connect your toes to your heel. Needless to say, it is a very important ligament for runners or even walking around. When it hurts, you generally feel a sharp pain in the heel called plantar fasciitis. As such, it is very important that you properly warm it up and keep it stretched so that you can continue running.[7]the wired runner – HOW TO STRENGTHEN ANKLES: 10 EXERCISES FOR RUNNERS

How to do it

  • Sit in a chair with one leg crossed over the other.
  • Take your foot in your hands and gently bend your toes to your shin.

Number of repetitions

Hold the stretch for 10 seconds and repeat 2 to 3 times on each foot.

Tips

If you want a deeper stretch of the plantar fascia, while stretching your toes backward with one hand, use your other hand to gently massage the bottom of your foot. Focus on areas that are more painful such as at the heel.

Squat Jacks

What does it do?

The squat jack is a great exercise for helping build strength all the way from your feet to your hips. This will help you better transfer power from your feet to help propel you forward when running.[8]Active – 4 Exercises to Strengthen Ankles

How to do it

  • Start in down squat position with feet hip width apart.
  • Staying in the down squat position, jump and shoot your legs out wider than shoulder width apart.
  • Repeat this movement back and forth.

Number of repetitions

Do 15 to 25 reps 2 to 3 times.

Tips

If you would like to add a bit more of a cardio element to this exercise, every time you jump up move your arms up like you would in a regular jumping jack.

Achilles Tendon Stretching

What does it do?

The Achilles tendon is located at the back of the foot and goes from the heel to the bottom of the calf. It is very important as it helps your foot’s plantar flexion. In other words, it helps you point your toes when walking and running to propel you forward.[9]Very well fit – Ankle Warm-Up Exercises

How to do it

  • Sit on the ground with your legs straight out in front of you.
  • Using a rope, loop it around the bottom of your feet.
  • Pull it back gently towards you, until you feel a stretch in your ankle.

Number of repetitions

Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 5 times per leg.

Tips

In order to get the most out of the Achilles tendon stretch make sure to:[10]healthline – Achilles Tendon Stretches and Strength Exercises

  • Not bounce in the stretch. Rather keep it still and relaxed.
  • Keep your heel touching the floor. If you let it up off the floor, you won’t get as much of a stretch or benefit.
  • Stop right away if you feel sharp pain.

Ankle Inversion

What does it do?

Ligaments and tendons in the ankles are very important with your stability and range of motion in this joint. Ankle stretches and the ankle inversion exercise specifically works the outside part of your ankles so that you are less likely to roll your ankle that way. [11]verywellhealth – Ankle Exercises and Physical Therapy for Ankle Injuries

How to do it

  • Sit with your legs out straight in front of you.
  • Place the foot that you want to exercise on the ankle of your other foot.
  • Wrap an elastic band around both the foot you are exercising as well as the other one while holding the end with your hands near your hips.
  • Slowly and in a controlled manner turn your working ankle inwards.

Number of repetitions

Do 20 repetitions 2 times on each ankle.

Ankle Eversion

What does it do?

Ligaments and tendons in the ankles are very important with your stability and range of motion in this joint. The ankle eversion exercise specifically works the inside part of your ankles so that you are less likely to roll your ankle that way. [12]lasso – How To Stretch a Sprained Ankle

How to do it

  • Sit with your legs out straight in front of you.
  • Wrap an elastic band around both the foot you are exercising as well as the other one while holding the end with your hands near your hips.
  • Slowly and in a controlled manner turn your working ankle outwards.

Number of repetitions

Do 20 repetitions 2 times on each ankle.

Ankle Alphabet

What does it do?

The ankle alphabet exercise is a great way to not only work your ankle stretches range of motion, it also helps work the small muscles in your feet that help when you run.

How to do it

  • Sit with your legs in front of you hanging of the edge of a chair or bed.
  • Start drawing the letters of the alphabet with your toes.

Number of repetitions

Trace the alphabet one time for each foot.

[13]UW Health – Health Information

Tips

Focus on keeping your movement as smooth as possible.

Standing Calf Stretch

What does it do?

The standing calf stretch is a great way to stretch out your calf muscles as well as your Achilles tendon.[14]Livestrong – Stretches & Strengthening for Sore Ankles from Running

How to do it

  • Stand in a staggered stance.
  • Bend your front leg.
  • Make sure to keep your back leg straight and your heel touching the floor.

Number of repetitions

Hold for 15 to 30 seconds and repeat 3 times per leg.

Tips

Slightly bend your back leg in order to focus the stretch in different parts of the calf muscle.

Lacrosse Ball Rolling

What does it do?

Massaging the bottom of your feet with a lacrosse ball is a great way to relax the muscles in this area which in turn help support your arches and stabilize your feet.[15]Greatist – 4 Super-Important Foot Stretches for Runners

How to do it

  • Place a lacrosse ball on the ground.
  • Stand over the ball and step on the ball with one foot.
  • Slowly roll it around on the bottom of your foot.

Number of repetitions

30 seconds per foot.

Tips

Place more weight on your foot to place more pressure on the foot. This is great to help focus on areas that are hurting more.

Shin Curls

What does it do?

Shin splints refer to the pain that you feel on the front of your legs between your feet and knees. This often happens because your muscles in your legs aren’t balanced and your shins are working harder in order to compensate. By strengthening the shins, you can help better balance your muscles in your legs.[16]Runner’s World – 6 Exercises That Help Prevent Shin Splints

How to do it

  • Stand straight with your feet hip width apart.
  • While keeping your heels on the ground, lift up your toes as high as possible.
  • Slowly lower your toes back to their starting position. [17]Runner’s Blueprint – 8 Essential Foot Strengthening Exercises For Runners

Number of repetitions

Start out with 30 repetitions 2 times.

Tips

If the exercise is too difficult, do the same exercise sitting down.

If it is too easy, place small weight on top of your foot.

Heel Walking

What does it do?

Heel walking has several benefits including:

How to do it

  • Start with your feet should width apart.
  • Point your toes up and balance on your heels.
  • Start walking forward while keeping your toes off of the ground.

Number of repetitions

Walk 25 yards 3 to 4 times.

Tips

If this is too difficult use a wall to help keep your balance.

If it is too easy, try taking larger steps and walking faster.[18]Gixo – Heel Walking Exercise

Toe Presses

What does it do?

Toe presses help strengthen your toes as well as calves to help with the push off in your running form.[19]Chron – How to Do a Toe Press

How to do it

  • Sit at a leg press machine with heels hanging off bottom and just toes touching.
  • Press with your toes, so that you are on your tippy toes.

Number of repetitions

Do 15 reps 3 to 4 times.

Tips

  • If you don’t have access to a leg press machine, you can do this is while sitting down in a chair and pressing your toes into the ground.
  • Turn your toes inward in order to work your outer calves.
  • Turn your toes outward in order to work your inner calves.

Toe Curls

What does it do?

Toe curls are a great way to help strengthen the muscles in your toes and the top of your feet.

How to do it

  • Place a towel on the floor.
  • Stand on the towel and spread out your toes.
  • Using your toes, grip the towel and pull it towards your.

Number of repetitions

Do 8 to 10 repetitions per foot.

Tips

To increase the difficulty, add a small weight on the end of the towel.[20]healthline – 9 Foot Exercises to Try at Home

Foot and Ankle Stretches an Exercises

As runners, we often forget about our feet and ankles.

This is a big mistake as they are some of the most important parts that help propel us forward when running. If we don’t pay attention to them and do proper feet and ankle stretches and exercises, we are bound to experience injuries and not be able to run to the best of our ability.

As such, we hope that you can take some of these exercises and add them to your running fitness routine to make you the best runner you can be!

If you are interested in learning other stretching and strengthening exercises to help you in your running check out:

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