Feet

In the course of the average day—filled with all the usual running, walking, stair-climbing and foot-tapping—the average man''s feet absorb roughly three million pounds of pressure. It''s a wonder our feet don''t fail us more often than they do.

The pounding rises dramatically when you throw in a little physical activity. Running tacks on an additional 500 pounds of pressure with each stride. Other exercise can put even more pressure on your feet, creating times that will try any man''s soles.

"If you''re playing any sport where you have to use your feet—and that''s pretty much all of them—it starts to become obvious what a good idea it is to work on the foot muscles as well as the muscles that help you move the foot, like the calf and shin muscles," says Allen Kinley, assistant strength and conditioning coach at Texas A&M University in College Station. The reasons are simple, says Kinley: First and foremost, you''ll keep those muscles stronger and the ankle joint limber.

The foot is a complex network of 26 bones, 56 ligaments and 38 muscles. That''s a lot of moving parts, which could explain why 87 percent of us suffer from foot pain during our lives.

Now, toe strength is not a trivial thing, particularly if you do a lot of hiking or climbing. Toes help you keep your balance by constantly bending and shifting to adjust your weight. They also play a key role in pushing your body forward. Want to see how important they are? Curl them up tightly and try to walk. It''s not easy. Our point: It is not at all goofy to take a few minutes to build up toe strength and dexterity.

Keeping Your Dogs from Barking

"The muscles around the foot are notoriously tight—we''re always putting a tremendous amount of pressure on them, even when we''re just walking," says Dan Hamner, M.D., director of sports medicine and rehabilitation for the New York State Athletic Association and visiting professor of rehabilitation at New York Hospital in New York City. The more you can stretch and work these muscles, adds Dr. Hamner, the less sore and more on balance you''ll be. Bonus: You''re also less likely to suffer the nagging foot cramps you''ve probably felt from time to time, usually when you''re doing something like pushing the limits of your morning run. So if you don''t want your feet to fail you now—or ever—try these feats of strength.

Foot Stretches

Before you put your feet through their paces—whether it''s a pick-up basketball game or a 10-K run—be sure to warm up those muscles first. "Do a brief warm-up activity, such as slow jogging, and follow that up with some stretching—especially if you''re about to go running," says Dr. Hamner. Then try a modified hurdler''s stretch: Sit on the floor, put your left leg out straight in front of you; bend your right leg so the bottom of your right foot is resting against the inside of your left thigh. Now bend forward from your hips, stretching your arms out as far as you can toward your left ankle. For an even better stretch, if you are flexible enough, use one hand to pull the toes of your outstretched leg toward your knee. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds, then switch legs.

Toe Pulls

All you need for these exercises is a rubber band. With your feet flat on the floor, side by side, place one thick rubber band around your big toes and pivot at your heels to move your feet away from each other, out to the sides. Hold for five seconds. Do ten reps.

Towel Crunches

Take off your shoes and socks and sit on a chair. Spread a towel across the floor and, grasping one end with your toes, crunch it under your feet—essentially, you''re making fists with your toes. Use the muscles in the bottom of your feet and in your toes as well. Keep your heel on the floor at all times. Repeat with your other foot.

Toe Spreads

Put a rubber band around all the toes of one foot and spread them. Do ten reps of five seconds each. Repeat on the other side.

Weighted Foot Flexes

Sit on a table so your feet are dangling in the air. You should be wearing ankle weights wrapped around your feet, near the base of your toes. Your upper body should be upright, arms resting at your sides, and your toes should be pointing down to the floor in a natural, unflexed position.

Raise your toes up toward your shins as high as possible. The rest of your body should stay the same, but your weighted toes should be lifted up and in, so you feel the contraction in the muscles along your shin. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Toe Raises

Stand upright with your toes over the ledge of a platform, weight or block. Hold on to a wall with one hand for balance, if you need to. Your toes should be extended as far out over the edge as you can, but maintain your posture and balance and keep your heels on the step or block.

Pull your toes in toward your shins as far as you can. The rest of your body should remain upright, and you should feel the contraction around your shins. Hold for a second, then lower and repeat. Do up to three sets of 12 to 20 reps.

Bowlegged Toe Raises

Do toe raises as you normally would, but start with your feet splayed outward with your body weight focused on the outsides of your feet in a bowlegged position. This stresses the muscles slightly differently than in the standard position.

Knock-Kneed Toe Raises

Do standard toe raises as you normally would, but start with your feet splayed inward with your body weight focused on the insides of your feet in a knock-kneed position. This will stress the muscles slightly differently than in the standard position.