thetraveler

I've just started wearing insoles in my everyday shoes. The shop assistant gave me some exercises to do to strengthen my lower legs and feet, e.g. walking on your toes, walking on your heels, walking on the outside of your soles, sitting high and pointing toes to the ground then up to the ceiling, sitting down on the floor legs outstretched and curling toes; circling your ankles and toes clockwise and anticlockwise, etc.

It struck me these could be good for building your strength and balance for better edging. Anyone else do this? Anyone else know any good exercises for this (off and on the mountain)?

Technine Icon

I use a special balance board to strengthen my ankle because I've rolled it too many times skateboarding.
Opentip.com: 402 - ROCK- Ankle Exercise Board

MunkySpunk

Kick ass and take names. It exercises the legs and feet while you work on your penmanship.

ChubbyGuy

Some pro athletes are known to exercise their feet to increase explosiveness. Manu Ginobili on the Spurs is known to do foot exercises, and hes one of the most explosive players in the NBA. He does similar stuff to that, and also picks things up w his toes. kinda wierd, but i guess it works

beggionahorseho

or you can do like me. snowboard super much in the winters, lazy summers. so the first weeks of snowboading I am thinking about suicide . it´s snowing in the mountains. i should start practising

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more snow pleeaaseee

Glade Ripper

I run barefoot and have since acquired tremendous foot muscles. Since I started, my balance is much improved and my overall calf, ankle and feet have become incredibly strong.

I run in these and, as of this spring, they have now become my everyday footwear.... Vibram FiveFingers:

I'm up to four pairs although they last quite a long time; I have two years on the ones I run in.

Glade Ripper

Lots of recent studies on them showing how running properly barefoot reduces impact stress on your knees...

Results of Daniel Lieberman Barefoot Running Research

Smitty

I've been running in Five Fingers since they first came out years back and my feet are ripped! Not to mention my calves are like steel now, since running in shoes doesn't activate your calves much at all.

If you want feet, ankles, calves and thighs like a champion run barefoot or in five fingers. Start off just light jogging and work your way up to doing interval sprinting. If you have worn shoes your entire life, you'll be amazed at how it feels as though you've never used your calves ha.

Shoes are like poison to foot strength, they literally restrict all your foot muscles from working like they were designed. Your feet are meant to bend and flex. These moron R&D guys at big shoe companies are trying to find ways of keeping your feet from doing any of those things by adding "support". Your feet don't need support, it has muscles for that, you just need to work them out so they can support you! All these feet problems are from shoes, they squish the muscles and bones and restrict them from free movement. Then you need even more support because your feet are so damn weak. The fastest way to weaken and atrophy a muscle is to restrict it from movement... shoes in a nutshell.

If you don't want to run, walk on the balls of your feet at all times. We have padding on the balls of our feet and not the heels for a reason. Shoes have changed our physiology and the way we walk. Now everyone heel strikes and most problems with structure come from our posture and the way we walk/run.

You know all these "studies" coming out are so stupid. They should have to prove that shoes are good for us, not that going barefoot is. I don't have to spend millions of dollars to tell you my running form improves, speed and endurance increases while energy used decreases when I run barefoot.

The foot/ankle strength increase directly translates into snowboarding. And you'll feel it when you ride, it's a beautiful thang.

Smitty

Calf extensions.... pop some weight in a backpack and do them for some added fun

Glade Ripper

I know this but I assumed most people wouldn't just take my word

I've been rocking them for running for a couple of years and since just thrown shoes right out the window and made these my everyday footwear. They I always loved being barefoot and these make it possible