By Michael Roizen, M.D. and
Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Putting your best foot forward is a good goal when it comes to excelling
at work and, it turns out when you're taking steps to achieve healthy
aging. That's because feet that are strong and agile improve your balance
and flexibility, and make it easier to walk, exercise -- and dance. We're
only kidding a little. Dancing is important because it provides fun, you
do it with a group of folks, offering an emotional buffer against
premature aging -- and it keeps you on your toes! That's important because
toe weakness is the biggest predictor of falls in the elderly!
But we bet you never thought of actually exercising your feet. Doing
toe-strengthening exercises, along with exercises that use the small
muscles throughout your feet, helps prevent shin splints and plantar
fasciitis and protects you from discomfort or injury to your ankles,
knees, hips and lower back. After all, they're all affected by the
alignment and strength of your feet and toes.
Try this: Stand up, feet flat on the floor. Loop a resistance band around
your big toe. Pull your toe up off the floor (not too hard). Hold it. Now
try to lower your toe to the floor. Repeat 10 times; do two sets on each
foot. Then loop the band around your four other toes and do the same
routine. For other foot strengthening exercises, check out the iHerb.com blog "Most Common Foot Conditions" to see
what may be affecting you and "Resistance Bands: The Anytime, Anywhere
Multi-Exercise Workout."
Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is
global advisor to www.iHerb.com,
the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief
wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at
Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New
York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).
(c)2024 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2024 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate,
Inc.
