Flat feet, in themselves, are not a medical problem. Plenty of people walk, run, and stand all day on low-arched feet with no symptoms at all. Flat feet become a problem when they hurt, when they're linked to pain further up the chain, or when a previously-neutral arch has dropped over a short period. In those cases — and only those cases — exercises that target the small muscles of the foot and the posterior tibialis tendon genuinely help.
This piece is for the "my flat feet have started to hurt" reader. If your flat feet are asymptomatic, you don't need this programme. If they hurt, the six exercises below are the evidence-backed core of what to do.
Are flat feet actually a problem?
The answer is nuanced [1]:
- Flexible flat foot (the arch disappears under load but reappears when you lift the foot): rarely problematic unless painful. Common and benign.
- Rigid flat foot (the arch stays flat whether loaded or not): more likely to cause symptoms and often has a structural cause. Worth a clinical opinion.
- Acquired adult flat foot (a new flattening, usually in one foot, often middle-aged): important to investigate — often early posterior tibialis tendon dysfunction, which can progress.
If you fall in the first group and your feet feel fine, these exercises are optional maintenance. If you're in the second or third, see a professional first — the programme below is complementary, not a substitute. More on arch types in flat feet, high arches & everything between.
What you're actually training
The arch is held up by a combination of three things:
- Bony alignment — which you can't change with exercise.
- Ligaments (the spring ligament, plantar fascia) — which you can modestly strengthen via loading.
- Active muscles — especially the intrinsic foot muscles (inside the foot) and the posterior tibialis tendon (running down the inside of the shin and under the arch). These are where exercise has the largest effect.
The evidence for strengthening these muscles is strong enough that the intrinsic-foot programme is now standard in many physiotherapy protocols for flexible flat foot [2].
Exercise doesn't move bones. It does strengthen active arch support.
For most painful flexible flat feet, that's enough to get meaningful symptom relief.
The six exercises
None of these require equipment. All of them are designed to be done barefoot.
1 — Short foot
The cornerstone. Stand barefoot, feet hip-width. Without curling the toes, try to draw the ball of the foot toward the heel, raising the arch. Hold 5 seconds. 10 reps per foot. This isolates the intrinsic muscles.
2 — Towel scrunch
Seated, foot on a small towel on a smooth floor. Using only the toes (not the whole foot), scrunch the towel toward you. 20 scrunches per foot. Progress by placing a weight on the far edge.
3 — Toe yoga
Seated. Lift the big toe while keeping the other four pressed down. Then reverse: press the big toe down, lift the other four. 10 alternations per foot. Terrible at first, trainable quickly.
4 — Single-leg calf raise, toes gripped
Standing on one leg, grip the floor with your toes and rise onto the ball of the foot. Slow down on the descent (3 seconds). 10 reps, 3 sets. This loads the posterior tibialis tendon directly.
5 — Heel walks
Walk 15 metres on your heels, toes lifted. Turn around and walk back. Works the front of the shin, which opposes the calf and helps re-balance lower-leg mechanics.
6 — Side-step resisted
With a resistance band around the forefeet (not the ankles), step sideways 10 steps in each direction. Keeps the glutes engaged, which shows up as less collapse further down the chain.
An 8-week programme
A sensible build:
Weeks 1–2 — learn the movements
Exercises 1–3, daily. Focus on quality, not load. Expect the short-foot and toe-yoga to feel awkward at first.
Weeks 3–4 — add loading
Add exercises 4–5, 3× per week. Keep 1–3 daily. Add heel walks after walks or runs as a cool-down.
Weeks 5–6 — progress
Single-leg calf raises to slow negatives (5 seconds down). Add exercise 6, 2× per week.
Weeks 7–8 — durability
All six exercises, 3× per week. This becomes the maintenance dose. Most people notice a firmer, less-achy arch by now.
Pair this with the broader structure in a complete home exercise program for plantar fasciitis if you have arch pain and heel pain — the overlap is substantial.
A flat foot that hurts isn't asking for surgery. It's usually asking for 8 weeks of honest work on the muscles that were meant to support it.
— Maya Iwamoto, Head of ProtocolWhere insoles and shoes fit
Exercises work well alongside — not instead of — supportive footwear. For the first 4–6 weeks, when the tissue is adapting:
- Arch support in daily shoes reduces cumulative load and lets the small muscles work in a shorter range.
- Avoid zero-drop and minimalist shoes during the adaptation period. Re-introduce gradually after the 8 weeks if that's your preference.
- Rotate shoes; same footwear 14 hours a day loads the same structures repeatedly.
For most flexible flat feet, a supportive arch support insole offers immediate comfort while the muscles catch up. Once they do, many people find they can use less support — or none — for longer parts of the day. That progression is the goal. Stronger active support, less passive support needed.
References & further reading
- Kothari A et al. Symptomatic flatfoot in adults: clinical and radiographic evaluation. Foot & Ankle Clinics, 2014.
- Mulligan EP, Cook PG. Effect of plantar intrinsic muscle training on medial longitudinal arch morphology and dynamic function. Manual Therapy, 2013.
- Kulig K et al. Non-surgical management of posterior tibial tendon dysfunction with orthoses and resistive exercise. Physical Therapy, 2009.