Your Feet Are Your Foundation

Our feet are amazing structures. Think about it for a minute: They absorb shock, provide sensory feedback, and help stabilize every step, lift, and jump. They support our entire body weight (and whatever else we are carrying) on a system of 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments. If your foot is stiff, weak, or disconnected from the ground, your entire kinetic chain suffers, leading to eventual aches and pains further up the chain in your knees, hips, and even your lower back. 

And yet we have spent the last century or so squeezing them inside fashionable little boxes where most of those structures don’t have anything to do but get stiff and weak. Despite the advancements in shoe technology and arch supports, our incidence of problems like plantar fasciitis, bunions, and hip/knee/low back pain is only getting worse as we spend more time wearing shoes and/or not using our feet at all. 

Imagine if years ago it had suddenly become stylish to wear oven mitts or wrist braces on your hands all the time. How long would it take for your hands and fingers to become stiff little noodles that can barely hold a pencil? 

Our feet used to be that smart. They still can be. 

Today we are going to focus on the intrinsic foot muscles.

These small muscles inside the foot stabilize the arch, control toe movement, and help your foot adapt to the ground during lifts, sprints, and everyday movement. If they’re weak or inactive, you may be leaking power or placing extra stress up the chain (ankles, knees, hips, or even your low back).

That’s where Toe Control Drills come in.

Why Toe Control Drills Matter:
✅ Improve balance, coordination, and proprioception
✅ Restore healthy arch mechanics without orthotics
✅ Boost stability and power in squats, deadlifts, and athletic movement
✅ Help prep your feet for minimalist or barefoot training

Think of this as core training for your feet—quiet work with big payoffs.

Try this:
Kick off your shoes and try to:

• Lift your big toes while keeping the other four toes pressed down.
  
  
• Then reverse it—lift the four smaller toes while keeping your big toes down.
  
  

Surprisingly tough, right?

Most people can’t do this at first. That’s because the connection between your brain and foot muscles gets lazy when toes are locked up in shoes all day. These drills reactivate that connection and build foundational strength from the ground up. Try alternating between those 2 movements 10 times each and add sets through the day whenever you’re just sitting around. Eventually you will notice the brain/body connection getting a little easier and you might even notice your balance and proprioception improving as well!