Disclaimer

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transmitted in any form without an express written permission from the

publisher.

The information provided herein is only meant for educational

purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or treat any

medical condition. It should not also replace any medical advice

during an emergency.

The reader is advised to consult a licensed medical professional for

proper diagnosis and treatment of any medical condition.

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for any errors and omissions. They are also not liable for any monetary loss,

harm, injury or damage that the reader may experience as a result of using

or misusing the information provided. © 2015.

Copyright ©runningshoesguru.com

All rights reserved.

First Edition 2015.

Summary

Many people struggle with flat feet and some of them do not even know

what it is. All they know is that their feet are slightly different from others

and that they experience lots of discomforts. This book targets those who

may be suffering from this condition.

We begin by explaining what a flat foot is. We then delve deeper and help

you understand this condition. We tell you about the possible causes of this

condition, the symptoms to look out for, how to get the diagnosis and what

to expect during your doctor’s visit.

Majority of individuals with flat feet are always looking for remedies which

don’t seem to be forthcoming. There are exercise that can offer you relief

from the pain and discomfort sometimes associated with having flat feet and

we are going to look at five of those exercises. These exercises are simple

and you can even try them on your own without an instructor.

You don’t need to suffer anymore because you can only apply these

exercises and experience amazing results.

Table of Contents

Disclaimer

Summary

Introduction

Chapter 1: Understanding Flat Feet

Running with Flat Feet

Tips for Running with Flat Feet

Chapter 2: Exercises to Improve Your Flat Feet condition

Final Thoughts

Introduction

Having flat feet means the arches in your feet are either low or non-existent.

Normally, the middle part of your foot is normally elevated from the ground

when you are in a standing position. This part of your feet is what is referred

to as the ‘arch’.

It can be a bit difficult to notice this condition in young children due to the

fact that their feet normally consist of baby fat and soft tissue. Therefore,

you may notice this as they get older.

On the other hand, there are people who don’t develop this arch and this is

what we refer to as the flat feet. Some people inherit this condition from

their parents.

Having flat feet doesn’t mean that you are abnormal or that you may

experience a lot of health problems. Many people suffering from this

condition do not experience the problems that sometimes accompany it.

However, for some people, it might cause some pain and discomforts. If you

don’t notice any discomfort or pain then you probably have nothing to worry

about but if you do, there are several remedies for that.

Exercises go a long way towards improving this condition and making your

life better. Therefore, that is what we’ll focus on in this book.

Chapter 1: Understanding Flat Feet

You may have heard of flat feet but do not know what it means. This is

normal because most people do not have information on it including those

with flat feet. If you notice that the inside part of your feet are flattened

which makes it possible for the soles of your feet to come in contact with the

floor when in a standing position then you have flat feet.

This condition is very common among many people both children and adults

and it is normally painless. It normally comes about when the arches fail to

develop during the childhood stage. There are other instances where you

might develop flat feet after having an injury. They may also come with old

age.

You might experience some discomforts especially in your knees and ankles

and this is due to the fact that this condition has the ability to make some

alterations with regard to how your feet are aligned.

A flat foot is also known as a fallen arch. Pes planus is the medical term

used to refer to this condition. There are instances where the arch becomes

flat only when one is in a standing position and then it goes back to normal

when the foot is not on the ground.

This is known as having flexible flat foot or flexible pes planus. However, if

you notice that you don’t have the arch in both feet while in standing or

elevated position then you have rigid flat foot or rigid pes planus.

Flexible Flat foot

Generally, babies are born without a normal arch. Therefore, it is normal to

come across young children with flexible flat feet. Research shows that the

arch in a baby’s foot may take time to form and it fully develops when a

child is between 7-10 years old. Further studies reveal that actually 15%-

25% of adults have the flexible flat feet. This percentage of people does not

develop symptoms.

Most of the adults who have grown up with this condition from their

childhood inherited it from their parents. You will notice that the joints of

such individuals are very flexible and mobile throughout their body with the

exception of their feet. It is also possible to develop this condition during

adulthood.

There are different causes of flexible flat feet and examples include

rheumatoid arthritis and disorders related to nerve function.

Rigid flat foot

This condition is normally brought about by a major problem that interferes

with how the bones making up the arch in your feet are aligned or

structured. These are some of the things that might cause rigid flat feet.

• Congenital vertical talus. Here, there is no proper alignment of the

foot bones. There are instances where one has a reverse curve instead

of the normal arch.

The reverse curve basically resembles the rails found on the bottom

part of a rocking chair. This condition is very rare and normally

presents itself at birth. It can result from a number of disorders such

as Down syndrome and various congenital disorders.

• Tarsal coalition. This condition is normally inherited and it is also

referred to as peroneal spastic flat foot. It develops as a result of a

minimum of two bones fusing together which then prevents maximum

flexibility of the foot.

In addition to that, it also eliminates the normal arch. This condition is

also rare and studies show that it can affect a number of generations

of a family. Therefore, it can be inherited.

• Lateral subtalar disclocation. This condition is also referred to as an

acquired flat foot. This is due to the fact that one is not born with it

but develops it later on.

You might be born with a normal foot arch and then your talus bone

gets dislocated. This might cause you to develop an acquired flat foot

since the talus bone is found within the arch of your foot.

When the talus bone is dislocated, it moves from its normal position

and goes downwards and sideways which makes the arch collapse.

This can be caused by a high-impact injury especially from a fall,

sports, motor vehicle accident. Fractures and other injuries can also

result in this condition.

Running with Flat Feet

Running requires a significant amount of feet movement and involves

exerting various leg muscles. If you have flat feet then running may become

painful.

This is normally brought about by over-pronation. Pronation refers to the

usual rolling of your foot towards the end of each step you take. The

problem comes in when there is over pronation in which case your feet rolls

inwards too much and exceeds the point essential for shock absorption.

When it exceeds this point, your ankle joints become extended and result

into inward rotation of your upper and lower leg bones. This exerts stress on

your ankles, knee joints, hips and lower leg muscles and can cause pain.

If you are a runner and you experience frequent over-pronation then you are

likely to develop back problems, knee tendonitis and shin splints.

Having flat feet does not directly cause pain. Instead, it makes you

susceptible to over-pronation which causes the pain.

Therefore, there are runners with flat feet who don’t have problems due to

the fact that they don’t over-pronate.

If you are a runner with flat feet, you don’t need to stop doing what you

love. Instead, you need to get running shoes that will reduce the possibility

of over-pronation.

Stability and motion control shoes refer to running shoes that are purposely

designed for this function. These shoes have firm midsoles that are able to

prevent too much pronation. There are different brands and you can choose

the one you are comfortable with.

If the level of over-pronation you experience when running is between mild

and moderate then you require stability shoes. However, if you have a

heavier stride and experience severe pronation then you need to get motion

control shoes.

Tips for Running with Flat Feet

People with flat feet sometimes experiences pain when running especially in

their legs, lower back and feet. When you are a runner with flat feet then

you might find it challenging to deal with the physical symptoms that

accompany this condition.

The fact that your feet do not have enough flexibility and strength means

that you are prone to pain and discomfort. However, many runners with flat

feet have continued to do what they love and found a way of overcoming

these challenges.

These are some of the tips you can apply when running with flat feet.

Support your ankles and feet

It is important for your ankles and feet to have enough support when you

are running. The best way to do this is to wear orthotic arch support inserts

inside your running shoes.

We mentioned that your feet tend to over-pronate when running particularly

if you have flat feet. The arch support insoles provide your foot and ankle

with the additional support they need and prevents over-pronation.

Orthotic shoe inserts work by slowly realigning your muscles and tendons.

Therefore, they can put your feet back into an arched position.

There are different types of orthotic shoe inserts you can wear depending on

how severe your condition is.

This is why you need to work with a podiatrist who will be able to determine

the right arch support for you. There are conditions that require a minimalist

approach.

Engage in simple exercises to rebuild your arches

You can try to rebuild your arches as a way of improving your condition.

There are simple exercises recommended for this and an example is the toe

curls.

We are going to look to how to perform some of these exercises in the next

chapter. However, you should just keep in mind that exercises will go a long

way towards improving your condition.

Run on level ground

Another way of preventing over-pronation when running is to run on level

ground. The fact that you have flat feet means that your feet tend to run

outward in the process of running and this makes your legs twist inward.

The lower leg which includes your ankles and knee joints then gets a lot of

pressure from this kind of dysfunction and this can lead to pain. Therefore,

you can decide to run on a flat terrain to minimize over-pronation and you

won’t experience the pain.

Barefoot exercises in the gym

A new trend has emerged which is, engaging in barefoot exercises in the

gym. This has become so popular especially among those who don’t like the

orthopedic supports.

There are runners who have experienced success with this routine. This

barefoot exercise gives you the chance to work out and to let your feet relax

from trainers for some time.

Podiatrists and Chiropodists advise runners and anyone struggling with flat

feet to stay barefoot for as long as they can. You can do this when walking

around the house, in your garden and so on.

Having your feet stuck in shoes particularly poorly fitted ones for a long time

will make your foot muscles unfit and this will further weaken your arches.

Staying barefoot helps to prevent this and helps you to run better and with

no pain.

Chapter 2: Exercises to Improve Your Flat

Feet condition

You may require surgery if your flat feet condition is very severe. This

normally involves procedures referred to as arthrodesis and osteotomies and

they help to correct your foot posture. There is even a procedure that

involves the use of an implant to provide support to your arch.

However, these procedures are usually accompanied by possible

complications in addition to the fact that they are extremely expensive and

some people may not be able to afford them. This is why you should first try

the conservative methods before you opt for them.

All you need is the appropriate footwear and a great self-care program to

help reduce the pain experienced when running. These are some of the tips

you can apply to achieve that.

According to fitness experts with the knowledge of exercises for flat feet,

these exercises improve the strength, resilience and co-ordination of your

foot.

You get the chance to work every part of each muscle which all work

together towards flexing, toning and reinforce your arch. There are barefoot

exercises that improve your body awareness since they focus on the way

your body lands when you are walking.

When you have mastered this, you will avoid running and landing on your

heel and instead focus on doing that on the sole of your foot. This will

greatly reduce your chances of sustaining injuries since there will be less

impact on your joints.

When you visit a podiatrist, he or she will recommend an exercise that

caters to your specific needs. However, you can practice these exercises

provided you want to enhance your foot strength and flexibility.

Towel curl

You can perform this exercise while seated on a chair. Place a towel on the

floor and then stretch your bare feet on it. Make sure that your feet are flat

on the towel. Your knees should also be at an angle of 90o above your

ankles.

Begin curling your toes in order to have the towel under your toes. Start

pulling the towel in your direction and make sure you use all your toes to do

this.

You can repeat this exercise ten times before doing a reverse motion. In the

reverse motion, you can try pushing the towel away from you after holding it

with your towel. Do this ten times too.

Toe taps

This involves lifting your toes off the floor while making sure your heel is on

the floor. In addition to that, the outside four toes should be up in the air

leaving only the big toe to tap the floor.

After this, you can change the order and keep your big toe in the air while

you tap the other four.

You can begin by doing about 10 taps and then keep on adding the number

of taps until a time when you are able to do 50 taps in one session.

Rolling out your feet

This rock and roll exercise is important in enhancing the strength and

flexibility of your ankle.

You need to begin this exercise with your feet flat on the floor. The next

thing you need to do is to start rolling your feet outwards and then rolling

them inwards to enable you stand on the interior part of your foot.

When you do this about 12 times a day, you will notice major improvements

in your condition.

Calf stretch

This exercise will enable you to recover from the pain associated with flat

feet and you’ll be able to run comfortably. In addition to that, it actually

helps to prevent injury and to restore a variety of motion.

You can begin by leaning against a wall and have your back knee locked.

Start pressing forward until you feel a stretch in your calf muscle.

It is very important to avoid straining yourself when doing this. Therefore,

make sure you don’t feel any pain at all. When you feel the stretch, you can

hold it for about 15-30 seconds. You can repeat this exercise about thrice for

each calf.

Frozen bottle roll

This exercise involves placing a frozen water bottle beneath the arch of your

feet and rolling it.

You should start rolling it from your heel all the way to your mid-arch.

Final Thoughts

If you have been suffering from the pain and discomfort associated with

having flat feet then you have found a remedy by reading this book. These

exercises are simple yet they can go a long way towards improving this

condition.

What we are advocating for is quite simple and straightforward; you don’t

need any drugs or special equipment to find relief from your pain.

However, it is always advisable to first visit a doctor to get a proper

diagnosis in order to avoid treating the wrong condition and probably making

things worse.

Once it has been confirmed that you are indeed suffering from flat feet then

you can talk to your doctor about these exercises you are considering and

get his opinion. When he gives you the ‘green light’ then you are free to

start the exercises.

It will require dedication on your part but that will get easier after a few

attempts when you experience a great amount of relief.

You have the power to stop the pain and discomfort you are going through.

All the best as you try out the exercises.

Yours Sincerely,

Running Shoes Guru.