Couple different reasons why you could have flat feet…









1. Stiff Ankles: If you can’t move your knee over your toes then your body will collapse the arch to get the motion, turning your toes out and making you walk more like a duck. Lacking this movement can cause more stress on the knee, hip, and back.











2. Foot Muscle Weakness: There are also muscles in your foot that support the arch from there. These endurance muscles need to be able to get you through a ride.











3. Ankle Muscle Weakness: There are muscles that come from the calf to the foot and help support the arch. If these muscles are weak then you will have more foot issues. These can be more power to help support your arch through bigger impacts, like landing from a jump.





4. Very Flexible Feet: You could have more flexibility in your foot or could have stretched these out causing your foot to lose structure and support. Think of ligaments like straps that connect bone to bone… sometimes they break and some people have more bungie cords than straps. Therefore, these straps that should be supporting the arch are not and the foot muscles need to take up the slack or you need some outside support as well depending on the severity of the lack of support.



On a side note: Orthotics, Wedges…

Check out the Exercises for your Arch

Exercise 1: ½ Kneeling Ankle Stretch

Exercise 2: Pen Cap or Towel Grab

Exercise 3: Ankle Arch Muscles

Exercise 4: Loaded Arch Support/Balance

When you look at a house that has cracks in the walls, where do you look first to fix the issue???The Foundation! Or for your body… your FEETFrom working with mtn bikers, through The Ride Life , and being one myself, I have seen the impact feet can have on riders and their bodies. It is one of the points of contact with the bike and can play a big role!**This article isn't going to talk about shoes, pedals, or type of attachment (platform vs clipless).**Having a flat foot (overly pronated foot) is basically saying that your arch is caving in… Then this causes your knee to turn in… which then causes your hip to turn in … and pelvis stress.Knee turning in: Means that many repetitions on the bike can cause knee pain and a lack of motor control of the legHip Turning in: Means that you’re a placing your external rotators and abductors (aka your gluts) on stretch and can decrease their functionPelvis stress: Means that your back can become the next stress point.These are all cracks in your walls of your house. Now you know that after you fix the foundation of a house you may have to fix the walls… aka…you may need to do other stretching and strengthening for the knees, hips, and low back to completely solve your issues in these regions.Now… there is a reason why we have the ability to flatten our feet. This is our shock absorber to be able to walk and to run on uneven ground. But if we can’t come back out of it and regain our arch, we are not ready for the next impact and we are leaving our joints in a compromised position.Now that you understand why flat feet can cause major issues… you ask, why are my feet flat? I’m going to go over some broad base ideas and give you an exercise to combat each main point. This isn’t an all-inclusive list, but a broad look to help most people.There are many different opinions on this area.Here are some reasons why an orthotic or support/wedge would be indicated:- Your foot has a deformity/structural issue or pain (needs to be unloaded)- You have a very flexible foot, you need some external support- Your foot/ankle muscle’s endurance can’t keep up with your rides/daily lifeGetting a wedge or an orthotic can help with foot soreness and can help with other issues up the chain (knees, hips, and back), but it can also cause more foot/ankle weakness. This can lead to less balance as a whole and an increased dependence on the orthotic.When people get the arch support, the foot/ankle muscles don’t have to work as much, therefore, if you did need the arch support you need to keep strengthening your muscles!! Also, if your arch support is too stiff then you will lose the ability for your foot to shock absorb. On the other hand, if it is too soft, then you might not be giving yourself enough support.Objective- To test ankle movement and to then stretch ankle movementPerform:- Daily to loosen up ankle and decrease stress on arch- Do 20 reps 1 setsThings to Note:- Place towel roll under arch for support- Do not hold, pulse in and out of movement- If it is stretching more the Achilles tendon do a wall calf stretch with towel arch supportObjective- To strengthen the muscles that are in the foot to support the arch of the footPerform:- Daily- Do 20-40 reps 1-3 sets pending on physical enduranceThings to Note:- Stop and rest if foot is cramping, keeping heel downObjective- To strengthen the muscles that come from the calf to support the arch of the footPerform:- Daily- Do 20-40 reps 2-3 setsThings to Note:- Stop and rest if your calf/foot starts the cramp- Should feel muscles in your inner calf working or foot- Heel stays on the groundObjective- To understand how to implement the muscles for the arch support when standingPerform:- Daily- Do 20-40 reps 1-3 sets pending on physical enduranceThings to Note:- Stop and rest if foot is cramping- Big toe base stays on the ground