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Yoga poses

Toe Spread: Give Your Toes Back the Room Shoes Take

Barefoot, spread your toes as wide as they go, lift them, then set them down wide. It works the small muscles that move your toes apart, which narrow shoes keep pressed together.

Moving · Feet · 2 min read

Why it works: Chapter 23, Stiff people work harder for every stroke

How to do it

  1. 1

    Stand barefoot

    Stand on a hard floor, feet hip-width apart, weight even across both feet.

  2. 2

    Spread your toes

    Push your toes apart as wide as they go, keeping them flat on the floor. Even a few millimetres between them counts.

  3. 3

    Lift them, still spread

    Lift all ten toes off the floor and keep the gaps between them. The balls of your feet stay down.

  4. 4

    Set them down wide

    Lower them one at a time if you can, little toes first, so they land further apart than they started.

  5. 5

    Ten slow rounds

    Spread, lift, set down, ten times. If your toes barely move at first, sit down and slide your fingers between them to show them the way.

Watch for

  • Toes curling as they lift. Lift them straight, as if someone is pulling them up by the nails.
  • Your arches dropping and your ankles rolling in. Keep your weight even between heel and ball of the foot.
  • Squeezing so hard your feet cramp. Spread as far as you can without it, and the range grows over weeks.

Questions

Why can't I spread my toes?

Years in narrow shoes press the toes together, and the small muscles that move them apart get little use. Most people's toes barely move at first, and the spread comes with practice and time barefoot.

How often should you do toe spreads?

A few minutes on most days, together with the other foot exercises. Like any muscle, the ones in your foot answer to regular work.

Do I need toe spacers?

You do not need them for this. Spacers hold your toes apart; this exercise teaches your own muscles to do it.