[1689 Days to go] Step One: How I’m Strengthening My Feet to Prep for the PCT

Taking My Feet to the Gym: The First Few Days

My first few days of taking my feet to the gym have gone pretty well. Luckily, I have a home gym in my back shed, so it's a big deal to actually go there and do a ‘workout’—even if it’s just for my feet. Sure, you can do foot workouts at home without any fancy equipment, but there's something satisfying about going through the motions of a real workout.

I start with some calf stretches, half-standing on a step and letting my heels drop to really lengthen the calf. I’ve learned that so much of our foot strength and durability comes from strong calves, so this feels like a good place to start. After a good stretch, I walk a few laps up and down the gym floor, focusing on a heel-to-toe motion. It feels like a nice stretch for the feet, warming them up for what’s next.

Then, I rack up the 20kg Olympic bar on my shoulders, like I’m about to do some squats—but instead, I stand on one leg and begin calf raises, holding for a second at the top. It’s a great exercise because it not only works the calf but also challenges my balance as I try to do all 10 raises without putting my other foot down. So there I am, balancing on one foot with an Olympic bar across my back, doing calf raises. It feels good. Then I swap sides and do the same. It’s relatively easy, but I’m not in a rush to increase the weight. My plan is to do three days at 20kg, then bump it up by 5kg for the next three days, and so on, until I hit a plateau.

I vaguely remember the doctor from that podcast saying a strong calf should be able to do a heel raise with 1.5 times your body weight. But does that include your body, or is it 1.5 times your body weight on the bar? I guess I’ll find out soon enough as I keep going. That’s about all I’m doing in the gym for my feet at this point. I don’t want to overload them too quickly. Later, when I’m in the shower, I do 25 bodyweight calf raises on each leg. I start to falter around 20, so those last five really push the limits, which is good. I also take advantage of the wet, slippery tiles to do 10 toe scrunches. I’m experimenting with ways to create long-term foot health habits without interfering too much with my daily routine. If I can make this shower habit stick, that’ll be a win.

After giving my feet some attention for a few days, I finally sent off my first Amazon order for some silicone toe spacers, a massage ball, and a spiky massage ball. From all my foot research, I’m itching to get out of these high-stack Asics Kayanos with orthotics and try a pair of Altras. But I’ve set a rule: four weeks of consistent foot strengthening, and if I can stick to it, I’ll reward myself with some Altras.

In a few more days, I’ll start incorporating some toe yoga into my routine. I watched a quick video showing how much dexterity people have with their toes, so I gave it a try—only to realize my toes are basically useless nubs at the end of my feet. I’m considering taking a before-and-after video of my toe control, just to see the difference after a few months of toe yoga. We’ll see how that goes.