At Range of Motion Physical Therapy we see a lot of people with fallen arches, or who are over-pronating or who have poor ankle stability. These problems can be as result of poor arch strength, ankle sprains that have not been rehabed properly or poor ankle proprioception, among other things.

Over the course of the next couple of blogs I am going to show how to improve arch and ankle strength, while also improving proprioception of the ankle.

I always tell clients it should be possible to correct fallen arches and strengthen weak ankles without the use of orthotics….and the Tripod foot position is the first step.

The Tripod foot position teaches people how to be more aware of their arch so as to correct and evenly balance their weight through their arches, while also helping build the strength and endurance to maintain this position.

This exercise takes a bit of practice and once you have mastered it you can practice it anywhere.

The Foot Tripod position involves allowing your body weight to be evenly distributed among three points of contact with the floor.

the first metatarsal head
the fifth metatarsal head
the heel
With the tripod foot position, weight should not be shifted forward towards the toes or backward on the heel at any point during performance of an exercise. Likewise, weight should not be shifted medially or laterally.

I have attached a video to assist you to master the exercise, once you can hold the position you can progress onto doing some simple movements such as a small squats, but making sure you are maintaining the tripod position throughout the movement. If you lose the position stop, reset and repeat. It may also help to tighten your glutes when squatting to help the stability from the hips to feet.

If you would like to learn more please contact me for an appointment.

– See more at: http://www.romphysicaltherapy.ie/index.php/fallen-arches/#sthash.lzUXqxw2.dpuf