The 60-Second Exercise One of TikTok’s Top Doctors Does 3 Times a Week for Better Foot Health

Mike Varshavski, DO, extra generally generally known as “Dr. Mike” to his 25 million social media followers, spends his days seeing sufferers in addition to allotting well being knowledge and battling medical misinformation on-line. However one factor he all the time makes positive to squeeze into his weeks: toe yoga.

“After we’re fascinated about wholesome ft, it is not nearly ensuring the foot is wholesome for the sake of the foot,” he says. “The foot is consultant of your entire physique.”

Dr. Varshavski explains that cultivating energy, flexibility, coordination, and management in your ft is a approach to construct a robust basis from the bottom up. As a result of the muscle groups in your ft are so small, they’re extra predisposed to damage in the event that they’re put beneath an uncommon quantity of pressure. So for those who go for a tricky run, your hamstrings may have the ability to deal with it, however your foot muscle groups and tendons could be screaming. That may make you much less steady in your ft, which may result in damage.

“At any time when we’ve got points within the foot, it normally additionally finally ends up translating to joints greater up, together with the ankle, the knee, the hip, and the low again,” Dr. Varshavski says.

Ramping up an train routine slowly so your ft do not get overtaxed is essential right here. However a good way to present your foot well being a head begin is toe yoga, which “helps develop neuromuscular management of the foot, and neuromuscular management is extremely essential in terms of damage prevention,” he says. Analysis reveals that doing toe yoga can scale back foot ache¹ and enhance steadiness², which is correlated with lowering accidents.

When you haven’t heard of toe yoga earlier than, it refers to workout routines particularly meant to stretch and strengthen your toes, ft, and ankles.

“It is actually nearly with the ability to independently transfer every a part of the foot,” Dr. Varshavski says. “Plenty of the time that is onerous for folks. We neglect the foot in terms of coaching. It’s a quite common weak spot for folk, particularly when operating lengthy distances. And one you could prepare out fairly rapidly as properly.”

“After we’re fascinated about wholesome ft, it is not nearly ensuring the foot is wholesome for the sake of the foot. The foot is consultant of your entire physique.” —Mike Varshavski, DO

There are all types of toe yoga workout routines on the market, however Dr. Varshavski’s most well-liked train couldn’t be easier:

1. Stand along with your ft hip-width aside.
2. Increase up your massive toes whereas retaining your different 4 toes on the ground. Maintain this place for 3 seconds.
3. Then, reverse the motion: Maintain your massive toes on the ground whereas elevating your different toes off the ground. Maintain this place for 3 seconds.
4. Proceed alternating for 60 seconds.

Dr. Varshavski likes to do that 1-minute routine proper when he will get out of the bathe. “[After a shower] you are in all probability going to be taking a look at your toes, perhaps slicing your toenails—that is time to do toe yoga,” he says. “For me, 3 times per week is my customary, except I am rehabbing an damage. Then I am doing it just about day-after-day.”

The objective is for toe yoga to assist stop foot accidents within the first place. However you must also deal with your ft earlier than, throughout, and after train. That features ensuring you’ve acquired correctly becoming and supportive footwear—Dr. Varshavski prefers the Brooks Ghost Max 2 ($150) for the cushioning it delivers to his ft and knees. [Editor’s note: Dr. Varshavski has a current partnership with Brooks.]

He recommends ensuring your footwear matches correctly by standing and strolling in them as a result of your toes unfold out once you put your weight on them.

Whereas exercising—out on a run, for instance—benefit from that toe yoga-amped neuromuscular management by retaining your eyes forward of you so you may react to your terrain. And if you’re experiencing any ache, again off.

When you’re carried out along with your exercise, change out of your sweaty socks to forestall fungi rising in your nails or in between your toes (ick!). And most significantly, in case you have a priority about foot ache, speak to your physician to forestall a small downside from turning into bigger.

“Getting your ft glad means discussing your ft along with your major care doctor on the earliest signal of discomfort so that you may be preventive versus reactive,” he says. “Do not let the issue progress and get considerably worse, the place then you definitely’re left in a tough spot the place it is surgical procedure or nothing. Plenty of instances we may be proactive.”