
Thus, it’s essential that you strengthen this muscle to prevent it from becoming completely inactive over time. In fact, a dysfunction of the posterior tibialis is the most common cause of an acquired flat foot deformity in otherwise healthy adults 2. The two main muscles you want to strengthen are the muscles of the big toe and the posterior tibialis. You need to start strengthening and activating the musculature of the foot in order to build your arch.
ARCH PAIN IN FOOT DURING RUCK HOW TO
How to Fix Your Flat Feet and Avoid Problems When Squattingġ. However, after incorporating the adjustments listed below, I was able to completely get rid of the MCL pain and continue squatting without any problems. I learned this the hard way and developed MCL pain due to squatting with my flat feet. The inward torque at the knee can cause injury to ligaments over time, especially the medial collateral ligament (MCL). When squatting, this issue becomes even more problematic since there is now an added load. This disrupts the straight alignment and creates an inward torque at the knee. In the picture on the right, I let my arch collapse, which causes my knee to slightly rotate inward. As you can see, for the most part, my leg alignment is straight from my ankle to my knee and continues to my hip. The picture on the left shows what my lower leg alignment looks like when I create an arch with my feet. It completely misaligns the lower extremity and can not only cause issues in your knee and hip, but can create problems in your back as well. This inward rotation of the tibia creates an inward torque on the knee, which becomes a significant problem when a load is added (such as during a squat). On the contrary, when an arch is collapsed, the heel kicks out laterally and causes the foot to pronate and the tibia to rotate inward. When a foot has an arch, it lifts the foot just enough to allow the ankle, knee, and hip to stay in a straight alignment. Causes of this vary from muscle dysfunctions, hereditary conditions, injury, aging and more 1. How Fallen Arches Affect the Leg During a Squatįallen arches are simply the absence of the natural arch that is usually present under the foot. In today’s article, I’m going to show you how flat feet can harm you during your squat, and more importantly what you can do to fix it.

RELATED: Squat Mechanics: Why Stacking the Knee Overtop of the Ankle Is Importantįlat feet can also affect movements that you perform in the gym, the most problematic being the squat. Over time this can lead to more serious problems in other areas of your body and cause severe pain during intense exercise, such as during a sprint. Without treatment or strengthening, your fallen arches begin to put significant strain and pressure on your ankles and knees, which causes overall discomfort in your lower body joints. This is especially important for those with flat feet. Of the many body parts we neglect, our feet may be the most taken for granted.
