We have often talked about the importance of the foot on the ground in terms of reactivity, elasticity, running economy, proprioception, how important it is to train him in our workouts. The exercises that we will describe are easy to perform and must be followed by an expert in the field to verify that they are carried out correctly. We are confident that they will be of great benefit to your ride.
- I walk on my toes: this exercise, very simple to say, can create some difficulties for some people. It consists ‘simply’ in walking a short stretch, of about 10-15 metres on the tips of the feet, taking care to stay straight with the bust and knees locked. At the end of the financial year we conclude with 5-10 meters at normal pitch.
- Walking on the heels: the length of this exercise is the same as the previous one, the knees are straight and the walk uses heel support instead of the sole of the foot. To help us rhythmically, we can slightly accentuate the movements of the arms during the journey. Closing with 5-10 meters of pitch.
- Rolled from the heel to the tip of the foot: this involves accentuating the normal step of the walk, consisting of support, rolled, pushed by making more round movements. Then, gentle support of the heel, cushioned, rolled foot so as to perceive well the contact of the plant with the ground, thrust of the fingers. This exercise, to be done on foot, can be done for 15-20 meters before concluding with 10-15 meters in the extension.
- Skip: Bust and head in a straight line, look forward, arms oscillating alternately with legs. The foot must be well reactive on the ground and bring the quadriceps parallel to the ground, in rapid succession. After about 20 meters of exercise, transform the movement into a progressive running action for another 20-30 meters.
- Low skip: very similar in the execution to the previous exercise, but with greater frequency than steps. The quadriceps remain lower than the classic skip, to the detriment of a higher frequency of steps to the ground. Even the posture is affected, the athlete is more unbalanced forward.
- Semi-blocked knee jumps: we make jumps on the spot without exaggerating the intensity of the execution. The knees are not rigid and maintain a small degree of movement, to keep the gesture fluid and not too rigid in movements.
- Keep your balance on one foot: initially by helping yourself in balance, staying close to a gate, a fence.
- Kneeling Running: Your feet, which seem to slip over the ground in this exercise, actually do a great job on the ground. The foot touches the ground and pushes the leg until it touches the buttocks from the heel. Bust and head in axis, arms that follow alternately the movements of the legs, exercise that after 20-30 meters turns into an extension.
These exercises can be done initially by integrating with one training session per week, and then be included in the daily training. They must be carried out on a safe path, after a suitable warm-up (20-25′ run), without seeking the brilliance of the gesture itself, but rather must be seen as an enrichment to the seat. For track athletes or more experienced, you can add exercises with obstacles at various heights, exclusively under the supervision of an expert in the field.
