This article is intended to provide you with exercises to stretch, strengthen, add circulation, and maintain flexibility for the muscles in the toes. Below is a list of some of my favorites that I have found on the web.
1. Ball Message. Roll a tennis ball underneath the foot. Use circular motions to go from the toes to the back of the foot.
2. Ball Raises. This movement will help strengthen your feet, ankles and calves. Stand up tall with a tennis ball squeezed between your ankles. Rise slowly onto the balls of your feet with your ankles level. Slowly lower your heels back to the floor to complete one “ball raise”.
3. Toe Flex. With your toes on the floor, stretch them out wide for 5 seconds, then curl them and hold for 5 seconds. Repeat about 10 times.
4. Big Toe Pulls. Place a thick rubber band around both big toes and move them away from each other. You can keep heels together if you like but it’s not necessary. Hold each repetition for 2 to 3 seconds.
5. Big toe stretch. Gently pull your big toe over into proper alignment. Hold your toe in position for 10 seconds and repeat three to four times. I like to do this on my fifth toe, as well, for my tailor’s bunion.
6. Marble Pick-Ups. This is a gripping exercise that can be used to keep the foot flexible. Place 20 marbles on the floor in front of you and use your toes to pick up the marbles one by one and place them into a bowl.
7. Yoga Handshake. Thread fingers between toes, (hand palm to foot palm), and hold. Once you become comfortable performing that movement you can try threading the finger from the top of the foot (hand palm on the top of foot).
8. Toe Strengthening. Place a towel or belt around your big toe and use it to pull your big toe toward you while at the same time, pressing forward, against the towel, with your big toe.
9. Walking The Shore. When time allows, take time to walk on the sand. This can give you a soothing foot massage and also help strengthen your toes.
10. Toe Press-Ups. Push toes against a solid surface like a wall, to flex and stretch them; hold the position for ten seconds and repeat three to four times. Next, flex your toes in the opposite direction; hold the position for 10 seconds and repeat three to four times.
11. Piano Toes. Keep the ball of the foot on the floor. Lift up all toes. Articulate one toe at a time from pinky toe to big toe.
