Foot strength is an important, but often overlooked, part of protecting health and mobility as we age.
Research from Professor Hylton Menz has provided new insights into the importance of foot strengthening in older people and how it impacts balance, walking and fall prevention.
“Foot muscle weakness is a common part of getting older and has important functional consequences,” he says. “However, the merit of foot muscle strengthening programs is yet to be fully demonstrated.”
Dr Menz’s review explores the effect of aging on foot muscle strength and its implications, whether foot muscles can be strengthened, and how foot muscle strength can be measured in the clinical setting.
“The paper shows that foot strength decreases with age and may occur earlier than changes in the upper limb. It also shows that foot weakness is associated with balance and functional impairment, reduced walking speed and an increased risk of falls.”
Encouragingly, the research also highlights that foot strength can be improved through targeted exercise.
“This research demonstrates that the foot’s intrinsic muscles are not redundant,” Professor Menz says. “They play an important role in maintaining balance and preventing falls in older people, and they can be strengthened with resistance exercises.”
