Pilates for Trail Runners: Improve Foot and Ankle Mobility & Strength
Trail running is a high-intensity activity that works your entire body. Because it takes place on uneven terrain, it’s critical to have strong feet and ankles to navigate hills and dips while preventing injuries. One small imbalance in the body can lead to an injury because of the repetitive nature of running. You may not recognize an imbalance until it is too late and you are nursing an injury.
While runners often focus on their legs and upper body, the fact is that your running technique begins in your feet. Without a strong foundation, your feet and ankles can be susceptible to injury, which can impact your legs, hips, and back.
3 Ways Pilates Improves Foot Strength for Trail Runners
You might think that running regularly would be enough to keep your feet and ankles healthy and mobile. Unfortunately, there’s more to it than that.
1) Strengthen Flat Feet
Your arches act like a spring, absorbing the shock that comes from pounding pavement- or in this case, the trail. When you walk, you create a force that is over 1.5 times your body weight. The force doubles to three or four times your body weight when you run. So, if your arches have fallen and you don’t have support from the plantar fascia, your feet just aren’t equipped to handle the shock.
The muscles around your arches can weaken even if you exercise regularly. When your feet muscles weaken, the plantar fascia surrounding them drops, causing your arches to “fall” and your foot to flatten.
Some people naturally have flat feet or low arches. For them, practicing strengthening exercises through Pilates can ensure that the muscles surrounding the arches are strong enough to bear the ground forces that come from running.
2) Increase Flexibility
Our feet are made up of 26 bones and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. When we walk around barefoot, we naturally develop our feet muscles. Most runners, especially trail runners, though don’t have the luxury of running barefoot. Spending hours on end in shoes can be restrictive and make it more difficult to flex your feet.
Inflexible feet have a more difficult time reacting to ground forces that come from running, making you more prone to injury. Pilates can help by strengthening the feet while barefoot so that they are prepared to handle the shock that comes from running on the ground in shoes.
3) Improve Proprioception in the Feet and Ankles
Proprioception refers to the body’s ability to sense movements and actions through nerves that run from one part of your body to the brain. It’s why you can walk with your eyes closed or kick a ball without looking at your feet.
Some research suggests that footwear can negatively impact proprioception among people of all ages, leading to an increased risk of injuries and falls. If you were to run barefoot, the nerves in your feet would tell your brain what type of terrain they were encountering, and you would naturally adjust your stride to handle the impact most efficiently.
Pilates is done barefoot, giving your feet space to stretch and move naturally. Spending time barefoot can help your mind reconnect to your feet and decrease the chances of impairing your proprioception.
Try Pilates to Improve Foot and Ankle Mobility
Pilates is an excellent way for trail runners to improve foot and ankle strength and mobility. I can teach you exercises you can do at home to strengthen your body’s foundation so you can enjoy running on the trails without risking an injury to your feet, ankles, or any other part of your body. Book an appointment today to get started or enjoy this quick ten-minute class! You will need a towel or rag and a tennis ball.