Ground Up Series – Week 3

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Over the last two weeks, we’ve been working our way down the lower leg.

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Week 1: Focused on calf function.

Week 2: Shifted attention to the shin muscles and ankle control.

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That work matters because it sets the stage for what we’re doing this week.

By improving mobility, strength, and control above the foot, we’ve created the conditions to actually benefit from focusing on the feet themselves. Without that groundwork, foot-specific work often feels limited, frustrating, or short-lived. With it, the payoff is much bigger.

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This week, we’re getting down to the feet and our connection to the ground.

The feet are our first point of contact with the floor. How they move, tolerate load, and relay information upward affects balance, strength, and efficiency in just about everything we do, from walking and stairs to squats and lunges.

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WHAT WE’RE WORKING ON IN CLASS

In class this week, we’ll continue to layer strength and coordination on top of the foundation we’ve built so far. You may notice more emphasis on how your foot contacts the floor, how weight shifts, and how stable or unstable things feel when you slow movements down.

This is intentional.

The goal isn’t to “fix” your feet in one week. It’s to improve awareness, mobility, and basic strength so the foot can do its job without everything above it compensating.

As always, showing up matters. Coaching, loading, and movement progressions are where the real changes happen.

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AT-HOME HOMEWORK

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This week’s homework is simple and focused. We’re keeping it to a small number of foot-specific movements to reinforce what we’re doing in class.

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Aim to complete the following 3 to 4 times this week.

Total time should be 10 to 15 minutes.

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We’ve included instructional videos for each exercise HERE.

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1. Heel & Subtalar Distraction

This is a gentle mobilization focused on the heel and rearfoot.

- Grasp the cup of your heel and perform a slow, controlled traction

- Follow the video for setup and positioning

- This should feel like a stretch at the heel, not the calf

Why this matters:

This helps reduce stiffness at the back of the foot and improves how the foot adapts to the ground during movement.

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2. Foot Plantar Surface Self Massage – Lacrosse Ball

This is soft tissue work for the bottom of the foot.

- Set up seated with a lacrosse ball under your foot

- Roll from the base of the heel to the balls of the foot

- Adjust pressure to what you can tolerate

- You can roll forward and back, side to side, or change angles

Why this matters:

This improves tissue tolerance and awareness through the sole of the foot and helps prepare it for stretching and strengthening.

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3. Seated Plantar Fascia Stretch

This is a targeted stretch for the bottom of the foot and big toe.

- Sit and cross the working foot over the opposite knee

- Let the ankle hang relaxed

- Gently pull the big toe upward

- Keep the ankle still and focus the movement only at the toe

Why this matters:

Big toe motion plays a key role in balance and push-off. This helps restore that motion without loading the foot.

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4. Towel Curl

This is a strengthening exercise for the small muscles of the foot.

- Perform seated and barefoot

- Place your foot on a towel

- Curl your toes to bunch the towel under your foot

- Lift the foot to reset between reps

- Move slowly and with control

Why this matters:

This builds strength and endurance in the muscles that support the arch and help control foot position.

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A FEW IMPORTANT REMINDERS

- Consistency matters more than intensity

- Nothing here should feel sharp or painful

- Move slowly and stay controlled

- If something doesn’t feel right, ask a coach

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This week’s homework is about improving how your foot moves and tolerates contact with the ground. Next week, we’ll continue building on this with additional foot-specific work.

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Think of this as sharpening your connection to the floor.

The stronger and more responsive that connection becomes, the better everything above it works.

Keep showing up. We’re building this from the ground up.

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