Why Strong Toes Might Be The Missing Link In Your Workout Routine
When you think about building strength, chances are your toes don’t even make the list. We spend hours sculpting our glutes, training our arms, and strengthening our core, but the small muscles at the base of our body rarely get attention. And yet, they might just be the hidden key to balance, mobility, and longevity.
“Toes are vastly undervalued,” Vonda Wright, M.D., double board-certified orthopedic surgeon, internationally recognized sports medicine expert, and member of mindbodygreen’s board of scientific advisors, explained on the mindbodygreen podcast.
It may sound surprising, but your toes, particularly your great toe, play an outsized role in how you move through life. From explosive athletic movements to something as simple (and critical) as preventing a fall, toe strength and mobility are non-negotiables for healthy aging.
So, if you’re already committed to lifting weights and improving muscle health, it’s time to ask: what about your toes?
Why toes are the unsung heroes of strength & longevity
Your toes are home to fast-twitch muscle fibers; the same type that power your body through quick, explosive movements like sprinting and jumping. Over time, these fibers naturally decline with age, which is one reason older adults may lose stability and react more slowly to sudden changes in balance. Training the toes can help keep these fast-twitch fibers firing, maintaining both agility and mobility.
Balance, too, begins at the feet. The great toe plays a starring role: it needs enough strength and mobility to “roll over” with each step, stabilizing your gait and absorbing impact. Without this foundational function, the risk of instability—and ultimately falls—goes up. And falls, as research shows, aren’t just inconvenient; they can be life-altering or even fatal in older populations.
“You can have as much muscle as you want,” shares Wright, “but when you fall, it can be a fatal fall.” That’s why toe strength deserves as much attention as bigger, flashier muscle groups.
How to strengthen your toes
You don’t need complicated equipment to train your toes. Just a few targeted exercises can make a measurable difference in strength and stability:
- Calf raises with intention: By lifting onto the balls of your feet and pausing at the top, you not only activate your calves but also engage the intrinsic muscles of your toes. Adding single-leg variations can challenge balance further.
- Towel scrunches: Place a towel on the floor, set your bare foot on it, and scrunch it toward you using only your toes. This surprisingly challenging move helps build grip strength in the feet, which carries over to stability in daily life.
- Toe mobility drills: Simply practicing lifting, spreading, and pressing down your toes (especially the great toe) can improve both strength and range of motion, keeping the joint functional.
The takeaway
Strength training isn’t just about the muscles you can flex in the mirror. True resilience comes from building strength head to toe, literally. By paying attention to the often-overlooked muscles in your feet, you’re not just boosting athletic performance but protecting yourself against one of the most dangerous risks of aging: falls.
So, the next time you lace up for the gym, remember your toes. A few extra minutes of intentional training could mean the difference between instability and lifelong mobility.