The following foot strengthening routine is one example from The Perfect Pointe Book.
here is a great way to practice press ups, or rises.
As long as you understand the form and the movement, you will do it right. Sitting in a chair, you do not have your body weight on your foot.
Repeating the ballet movements exactly as you will do them in pointe shoes, you prepare your brain and your feet to do these actions precisely, safely, and in a way that you will get stronger and prevent dance injuries.
Start sitting straight in a chair with your feet flat on the floor, resting evenly on the ball of the foot, the heel, and the little toe joint.
In other words, no rolling ankles or pronation, or leaning to the outside of the foot.
The purpose of this exercise is to train your foot to perform it perfectly, in a way that develops strength, and prevents over-use of the shin and calf muscles. (which can lead to painful shin splints or Achilles Tendon strain).
Your arch muscles should be "on", meaning ready to move, but not clenched.
One foot at a time:
- peel the foot slowly off the floor
- work and control the muscles and keep the foot/ankle angle in a straight line
- no leaning to the inner side of the foot, or the outer.
- lift the foot off the floor, as though you were completing a jump or releve
- stretch the toes long, do not curl them. (This is the top of a jump, or where your toes will be positioned in pointe shoes.)
- touch the tips of the toes to the floor.
- press the heel back down, with resistance through the sole-of-the-foot muscles
Resume your starting position and repeat twenty times. Simple yet very effective!
This is one in a series, a wonderful pointe shoe exercise.
The Perfect Pointe Book is a complete ballet ebook showing you how to make you stronger in perfect ballet positions.
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