Toe curls exercise: Muscle worked, Health Benefits, How to do?

What is toe curl exercise?

The toe curls are also known as the towel curl. This is an excellent foot strengthening exercise. This is a great exercise for people who wants to improve balance and improve foot flexibility.Toe curls can be performed anywhere at any time, so long as you have a towel or other material to scrunch. Toe curls work do well with standing up or sitting down.

You can try this exercise for a warm-up, cool down, or also as part of a lower-body workout. Performing toe curls regularly will strengthen your feet. Toe curls can stretch and flex the foot to improve your balance, helps to support your arches, and improve your overall foot muscle strength. This exercise can also help reduce or prevent the pain that occurs due to foot injuries, such as plantar fasciitis.
Doing feet exercise regularly with proper foot wear is a great way to prevent injuries and build muscle strength. If you have any concerns about your feet, then please visit the nearest physiotherapist for better care.

Which muscle is used for toe curls?

Flexor digitorium longus

Health benefits by doing toe curls.

• Help to strengthen your feet.
• Helps to stretch and flex the foot to improve your balance,
• Helps to support your arches, and increases your overall foot strength.
• Toe curls can also Help to reduce pain
• Helps to prevent foot injuries, such as plantar fasciitis.
• Help improve toe strength,
• Helps to increase foot flexibility

How to do toe curl exercise?

• For this exercise, you have to stand with your hip shoulder-width apart or sit on a chair with your heels under your knee joint.
• Keep your legs and feet parallel to each other with toes pointing forward direction. your heel should be down, lift your foot, and flex your foot backward.
• Your heel should be stable on towel ends. reach out with toes with both sides and middle foot to get your foot land on the towel as far as you can do.
• Pull the towel towards you by making scooping through your toes. try to create a deep dome under the arch. you will get a little bit of a towel to move each time you straighten your foot and pull back.
• You also take a rest in between two sessions.
• Repeat this movement at least five to six times.
• You can also do this exercise with a single foot.
• You can do this exercise daily or even several times a day.

Here are some ways you can take the towel curl to the next level.

Add a weight:
Once you have mastered the basic toe curl exercise, and want this exercise more challenging then add some low-weight objects at the end of the towel.
You can start with a lighter weight, such as five to six pounces.

Towel push:
In the opposite motion of the toe curl, push the towel forward by curling and uncurling your toes. Again, keep your heels planted on the ground so it is not your ankle or heel doing any of the work.

Common Mistakes happen while doing toe curls exercise.

This exercise is too simple although some people make some mistakes while doing this exercise.

Not Firmly Planting Your Heel

• Keeping your heel stable and firmly on the floor is imperative for getting the most benefits from this exercise. If your heel is planted wrongly or it moves along with your toes then you miss out to get more strengthening benefits on your foot.

improper Posture

• Whether you choose a sitting or standing position for performing toe curl.it is important to maintain proper posture while performing this exercise. keep your core muscles tight, shoulders back, arms relaxed by your sides.
• If you are in a sitting position then make sure your legs are ninety-degree angle with your toes easily visible.
• If you are in a standing position keep a soft bend in your knee joint.

When did you not do this exercise?

• If you feel any pain during this exercise.
• If your doctor advised you to take a rest.
• If you have a fractured foot.
• If your ankle ligaments are injured.
• If you are recently undergone any foot surgery.