Can a Single Short Foot Exercise Improve Balance in Trail Runners? | Find Your Stride | Edinburgh Podiatrist

Introduction

Short foot exercises (SFE) have gained popularity in podiatry and sports medicine as a way to activate the intrinsic foot muscles, improve medial longitudinal arch control, and potentially reduce running-related injuries. A recently published proof-of-concept study explored whether a single session of SFE could acutely improve dynamic balance and foot kinematics in trail runners. This review aims to critically examine the study’s findings, clinical relevance, and limitations, helping clinicians and athletes understand what this research does and does not tell us about foot strengthening, performance, and injury prevention.

Short foot exercises (SFE) have gained popularity in podiatry and sports medicine as a way to activate the intrinsic foot muscles, improve medial longitudinal arch control, and potentially reduce running-related injuries.

Study Overview: What Did the Researchers Do?

The study investigated the acute effects of a short foot exercise protocol on:

• Dynamic balance, measured using the Y-Balance Test (YBT)

• Foot arch kinematics, quantified via the Arch Height Index (AHI) using 3D motion capture

Sixteen recreational trail runners completed baseline testing, performed a seated SFE protocol (3 sets of 12 × 5-second contractions), and were immediately retested. Participants were also stratified by weekly training volume (low vs high).

This design focused on immediate neuromuscular responses, not long-term adaptation or injury outcomes  .

Key Findings: Balance Improves, Arch Height Mostly Doesn’t

1. Dynamic Balance Improved Across in Directions

Following SFE, runners demonstrated statistically significant improvements in all three YBT reach directions (anterior, posteromedial, posterolateral). Effect sizes were large, particularly for the posterior reaches suggesting a strong acute response.

Clinical takeaway:

This supports the idea that intrinsic foot muscle activation can immediately enhance postural control, likely via increased plantar sensory input and neuromuscular priming rather than structural change.

2. Arch Height Changes Were Minimal and Volume-Dependent

Contrary to popular claims, arch height did not significantly increase overall following SFE. The only exception was a small increase in anterior AHI in runners with higher weekly training volumes. Notably, the reported effect size for this change was very small, raising questions about its clinical relevance despite statistical significance.

Clinical takeaway:

A single SFE session is unlikely to meaningfully alter foot structure. Any observed arch “lift” is probably a temporary neuromuscular effect, not a mechanical adaptation.

3. Training Volume Influenced the Response

Interestingly:

• High-volume runners showed small improvements in arch kinematics

• Low-volume runners showed greater improvements in anterior balance performance

This suggests conditioning status matters. Well-trained runners may already have efficient balance strategies, limiting observable gains, while less-conditioned runners may show larger short-term improvements due to novelty or learning effects.

Strengths of the Study

From a podiatry and sports medicine perspective, the study has several strengths:

• Use of 3D motion capture and a validated multi-segment foot model

• Objective assessment of foot kinematics during a dynamic task

• Focus on trail runners, a population with high demands on foot stability

• Exploration of training load as a moderating variable, which is often overlooked

Key Limitations: Why We Must Be Cautious

Despite interesting findings, several limitations restrict how far we can apply the results:

❌ No Control Group

Without a control or sham condition, it’s impossible to rule out:

• Learning effects on the Y-Balance Test

• Warm-up or placebo effects

❌ Very Small Sample Size

With only 16 participants, subgroup analyses (low vs high volume) are underpowered and vulnerable to statistical noise.

❌ Seated Short Foot Exercise

The SFE was performed seated, which likely reduces intrinsic muscle activation compared to standing or single-leg conditions, more relevant to running and trail demands.

❌ Acute Effects Only

This study tells us nothing about:

• Long-term arch adaptation

• Injury risk reduction

• Running performance or fatigue resistance

Practical Implications for Clinicians and Runners

For Clinicians (Podiatrists & Physios)

• SFE may be useful as a pre-activation or motor control drill

• Do not overstate its ability to “raise the arch” acutely

• Consider progressing SFE into weight-bearing and functional contexts

For Athletes & Coaches

• Short foot exercises may help prime balance before training or racing

• Expect neuromuscular readiness, not structural change

• Long-term benefits likely require progressive loading and integration, not isolated drills

Bottom Line: Useful Primer, Not Proof

This study adds to the growing body of evidence that intrinsic foot muscles play an important role in dynamic balance, especially in challenging environments like trail running. However, it does not support the idea that a single short foot exercise session meaningfully changes foot structure or reduces injury risk.

For podiatry practice and performance programming, SFE should be viewed as: A neuromuscular activation tool, not a standalone solution.

Long-term, well-designed randomized controlled trials are still needed before making strong claims about injury prevention or performance enhancement.

Citation

Aguilar-Risco C, San Martín-Correa M, Araya-Quintanilla F, Calatayud J, Mendez-Rebolledo G. Acute effect of short foot exercise on dynamic stability and foot kinematic in trail runners: a proof-of-concept study. PeerJ. 2025;13:e20364.

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