Exercises To Help Children Develop Strong And Healthy Feet

Introduction

Lifestyle has changed in the 21st century for humans. Instead of an active and dynamic approach, kids lead a more sedentary and hectic life. With extra classes, tuitions, and extracurriculars clamoring for their attention all day, children rarely get to wiggle their toes and unwind.

Even activities involving physical exertion have lessened considerably for kids, due to the pandemic. As a result, kids are playing outside or engaging in sports even less. They have video games and applications on smart devices for entertainment and leisure. But this is having a bad physiological effect on your kid’s joints, bones and muscles of their feet.

Due to lack of mobility and use, kids often experience soreness and leg pain from a young age, which is a troubling sign. Further, diets lacking in nutrition and replete with junk food are not good for any part of their body, let alone feet. Therefore, it is important to feed kids a diet rich in nutrients and wholesome food, and ensure they engage in physical activities daily. Here is a guide with exercises to help children develop strong and healthy feet.

Exercises To Help Children Develop Strong And Healthy Feet

Barefoot Walking

Barefoot walking is an exercise that every kid must experience to develop proprioception. It refers to the awareness of how their feet are in space without looking at them. The kind of awareness one has when there is a bug on their foot, or their feet shifted from gravel to grassy land. Barefoot walking also prepares kids' feet and makes those muscles strong and resilient enough to withstand nature. Try to get your kid outdoors and walk barefoot every day, even if for a short period of time.

Swimming

Swimming is an excellent physical activity for kids to engage in to strengthen their feet and legs muscles. This aerobic sport enhances lung capacity and heart health while honing your child’s leg muscles and making their feet far more flexible and grounded. Also, water is therapeutic to be doused in daily, so have fun and enjoy swimming with your kids.

Running

Running is a wonderful exercise for toning your kid’s leg and calf muscles while ensuring their feet remain active. It builds muscle strength and endurance in kids while teaching them several healthy values. Try taking them out in nature for hikes and trails, as it will soothe and brighten their minds and bodies further.

Cycling

Cycling primary focuses on developing strong leg and foot muscles in kids along with lots of stamina and fitness. It also helps kids stay away from devices and engage in healthy physical activity. You can also let your kids go on a cycling picnic, in which they ride to a chosen spot and spend the day there with their cycling friends before riding back home.

Yoga Asanas

An ancient Indian form of physical and mental discipline, yoga asanas are ideal for focusing and maintaining strong, healthy feet in kids. While there are loads of asanas for honing foot muscles, a couple have been mentioned here for convenience.

Vrikshasana

Vrikshasana or the tree pose is ideal for teaching kids about balance and posture. It helps them strengthen their feet muscles by balancing on one foot and maintain their body weight in a steady manner. To do this pose, your kids need to balance their weight on one foot and position the sole of the other foot on its opposite leg's inner thigh. Extend their arms upwards in the praying pose and feel the stretch and pull of muscles.

Utkatasana

Utkatasana or the chair pose is an asana reputed for improving leg strength, endurance, and health. It also enhances digestion and improves heart health in kids. To do this pose, all your kid needs to do is stand normally with legs apart hip-width and toes pointing forward. Then they need to slowly bend their knees and send their hips backward than their knees forward. They should still be able to see their toes. Raise their arms around their ears in a praying pose and hold the posture to feel the burn in the leg muscles.

Exercises

Exercises like squats and spot jogging are the ultimate ways to build leg and foot muscles. Without using any equipment these exercises ensure your kids’ ankle and other foot joints are healthy and fluid. While squats will also improve your kid’s posture and tone their upper thigh muscles, spot jogging will improve foot mobility and stamina.

Conclusion

No specific exercise can improve your child’s feet strength and health. All the above exercises prioritize foot muscles while helping your kid’s health in various ways. So, it is ideal to make an exercise routine comprising various proportions of the above exercises to entertain and engage your kids. A mindful, active kid is bound to have strong, healthy feet.

References

https://feelgoodshoes.ae/blogs/news/what-activities-can-help-strengthen-childs-feet