Foot muscle weakness related to overpronation
I've come to the conclusion that an excessive overpronation partly is a problem related to the weakness of the foot muscles and in particular:
Intrinsic foot muscles (abductor hallucis, flexor digitorum brevis etc.)
Weak posterior tibialis
Weak anterior tibialis
Weak peroneus longus
Weak extrinsic foot muscles (flexor hallucis longus, flexor digitorum longus)
Now I need some guidance with exercises that strengthens these muscles. So far my plan is to:
Transition to minimalist shoes for everyday wear(already made but haven't run in them yet)
Various balance plate exercises
Balancing, throw a ball to a wall, squats, etc.
Short foot exercises(But right now these are VERY hard to do(unable to))
Links:
Calf raises
Is this enough to tackle all of the muscles mentioned above or do I need additional exercises/techniques?
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Although weakness or limited mobility anywhere in the kinetic chain may lead to excessive pronation as a compensation, limited ankle dorsi-flexion is often a prime culprit.
To test your dorsi-flexion range you can see if you can fully squat without lifting your heels or losing your balance. Or another quick lunge test uses a ruler and the wall.
If you find limitation in ankle dorsi-flexion, here are some good exercises to stretch your muscles and mobilize the joint.
Your short foot exercise video you linked to is good, as is towel pleating which will help you target toe flexors. (Sorry for the long winded video.)
To specifically target your requested muscles you can use resistance bands:
The anterior tibialis dorsi-flexes and inverts (pulls the foot up and in). This video shows how to isolate it with rubber tubing or resistance band or with standing at the wall for support.
The posterior tibialis also inverts the foot (turns it in) but it plantar flexes rather than dorsi-flexion, so you would use the band to resist pointing the foot down and in.
The peroneus longus and brevis evert (turn the foot out) and the longus helps to plantar flex (point the foot down). Rubber tubing or theraband linked around the feet while you point and push your feet out against the resistance of the band will strengthen these muscles.
This quick video shows dorsi-flexion, plantar-flexion, eversion and inversion with a resistance band.
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