Formation of the Short Foot

How to do it

1. Sit with the foot flat on the floor and the knee flexed to about 80 degrees.
2. Without curling the toes, actively raise the medial longitudinal and transverse arches, drawing the metatarsal heads slightly toward the heel.
3. Keep all the metatarsal heads and the heel in contact with the floor - the foot shortens but stays planted.
4. Hold a firm-but-not-rigid arch for a few seconds, perceiving the change in foot shape, then relax.
5. Progress from seated to standing, then to one-leg stance, and onto labile surfaces.

Form cues

• No toe clawing or curling - lift from the arch.
• Aim for sustained low-level (tonic) activation to boost afferent input and de-pronate the foot.
• The short foot is the proprioceptive foundation of Janda's sensorimotor training (static phase).

Muscles worked

Strengthens: intrinsic foot muscles

Related exercises