Treatment for Tired Tootsies: 6 Exercises to Help Soothe Painful Feet

Hurting feet hurt our quality of life, and people with daily foot pain are eager to find solutions.

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Illustration by The Epoch Times

10/25/2024Updated: 11/25/2024

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If you suffer from chronic foot pain, you have my sympathy. Many professions require us to be on our feet all day, and as a therapist, my feet can feel painful and as flat as pancakes by the end of the day, even with supportive shoes.

Plenty of exercises can help strengthen muscles or reverse the effects of being sedentary—but what help is there for those in this hustle-bustle world where millions of people have tired, aching feet?

Good news! There are things you can—and should—do to help prevent and minimize foot pain, both for your immediate comfort and your long-term health. A surprising number of people who spend a lot of time on their feet wear inappropriate shoes, contributing to foot discomfort and potentially the development of plantar fasciitis. I once had a nasty brush with it—it’s quite painful and requires extended time to reverse.

Good Shoes Matter

Good shoes have quality soles and supportive insoles. Many people wear shoes long past the point of their ability to provide proper support for the foot. They may look good on the outside, but their functionality breaks down over time.

If you’re regularly on your feet all day long, don’t scrimp on good shoes, and don’t try to save money by wearing old shoes when the health costs are potentially much higher.

The following exercises, combined with proper footwear and intermittent off-your-feet breaks, can help prevent or reduce foot pain. They work great for my patients, but, as always, you may wish to consult your medical provider to ensure they’re right for you.

1. Heel-Toe Rocking

This standing calf raise focuses on the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles on the back of the calf and the tibialis anterior muscle on the front, providing a full range of motion for the feet. Doable just about anywhere in little time, this exercise needs no equipment.

Note: Don’t “bounce” or rush the following movements. Pay attention to your body and avoid pain or discomfort. Stand tall and keep your stomach and other core muscles tight during the exercise.

Step 1: Start standing (hold onto a chair, table, or counter for stability as needed).

Step 2: Place your feet side by side, not quite touching.

Step 3: Slowly rise onto the balls of your feet as far as you can. Hold for 1 second and then lower back down. From there, immediately lift the front of both feet as high as possible and hold for another second while balancing on your heels before returning your feet to the floor. This counts as 1 repetition.

Step 4: Perform 15 repetitions per set and try for 3 sets. You can modify the sets and repetitions to make the exercise just right for you.

(Dan Skorbach/The Epoch Times) — Dan Skorbach/The Epoch Times

2. Toe Curls/Extensions

This simple exercise actively engages the muscles of the feet and helps increase circulation. These great “on the fly” exercises can be performed anywhere. It’s best to perform them without shoes to allow freedom of movement.

Step 1: While sitting or standing, lift your right foot off the ground. Lift your toes as far as you can, hold for 1 second, then curl them in tightly for 1 second. Move both directions as far as you can.

Step 2: Moving in both directions counts as 1 repetition. Try to perform 15 repetitions per set, and perform 3 sets. You can alternate sides or do everything on one side and then the other.

For the best effect, move as far as possible in each direction and hold the endpoints for at least 1 second.

3. Ball Rolling

This massage movement directly manipulates tired feet and can be performed anywhere. You can use a can, water bottle, tennis ball, or any other item of similar diameter that can be rolled under the foot.

Note: You can vary the pressure you place on the object to increase the exercise’s effect. While you want effective pressure, avoid provoking pain. I personally prefer using a tennis ball for this exercise because it focuses on pressure better than cylindrical items.

Step 1: Sit upright on a supportive surface, barefoot, or wearing socks—no shoes.

Step 2: Place the ball of your right foot on your chosen item, aligning it so that you can perform a back-and-forth movement.

Step 3: Slowly roll the item forward until it is under your heel. From there, roll the item back up to the ball of your foot. Perform this movement for 1 minute on each foot.

Step 4: Completing the movements on both feet is 1 repetition. Try to perform 3 sets.

4. Sitting Alphabet

The sitting alphabet exercise effectively engages the ankle and foot tendons, ligaments, and muscles.

Tip: Try to use just your foot for as much of the movement as you can; resist using your legs to perform most of the movement. Go through the movements slowly, taking approximately 2 to 3 seconds to write each letter.

Step 1: Sit in a chair. (Although you can perform the exercise while standing, it is most effective if you sit.)

Step 2: Extend your right foot until your knee is straight, your foot is off the ground, and your toes are gently pointed forward (pointing “hard” can provoke cramping in your calf muscles).

Step 3: Begin writing the alphabet in the air with your toes, making each letter about 1 foot tall. Exaggerate your toe movements, moving them up while moving your foot upward and squeezing them down when lowering your foot.

Step 4: Completing the alphabet with both feet counts as 1 set. Try for 2 sets. For a fun variation, you can do uppercase and lowercase letters. For those who still know cursive, now’s the time to strut your stuff!

5. Inversion/Eversion

This exercise is excellent for addressing frequently neglected movements of the ankle. It also helps to relieve painful feet. In my experience, inversion also provides excellent relief for tired arches.

Step 1: Start standing with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart.

Step 2: Slowly roll both feet directly to the sides so that you’re standing on the outer edges of your feet (inversion). Hold this position for 5 seconds.

Step 3: Roll your feet back to the floor and continue rolling inward until you’re standing on the inner edges of your feet (eversion). Hold this position for 5 seconds, then return to the starting position.

Step 4: Moving from inversion to eversion counts as 1 set. Try to perform 3 sets of 12 repetitions. Hold onto something stable if you have difficulty maintaining your balance.

Feel free to play around with the movements. Instead of taking both feet into either inversion or eversion at the same time, you can perform a left/right movement, inverting one foot and everting the other at the same time, then reverse the pattern.

6. Seated Toe Extension Stretches

Never underestimate the power of a good stretch. After a long day on your feet, a simple stretch is sometimes the best medicine.

Step 1: From a sitting position and with your shoes off, use your hands to gently pull your right toes back as far as you comfortably can without provoking pain. To reach your toes, you can bend down to them, prop your foot up on something, or cross one leg at a time.

Step 2: After performing the stretch for 1 minute, move to your left foot and perform the stretch again.

Step 3: Performing the stretch on both sides for a minute counts as 1 set. Perform 2 sets.

You can also create this movement by placing your toes against a wall and slightly lifting your heel to increase the stretch.

Smart exercises and good shoes, combined with occasional breaks from standing, can bring much-needed relief to tired tootsies.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.