Arching the Foot**

Arching the Foot:- Start Position

Do this sitting or standing. Take your shoes and socks off and get comfortable.
Place your feet on the ground with the inside edges parallel to each other.

Arching the Foot:- Action

(Keeping the balls of your toes on the ground and your toes long and relaxed): Draw the balls of your toes back towards your heals, thus forming the arches.
Hold, and release.
Repeat 10 times.

Comments

We don't wear boxing gloves on our hands all day, but this is exactly what we do to our feet! The feet are actually incredibly complicated! -

The feet have about 33% of the number of sensory nerve endings that the hands have. Not as many, but still an incredible number. (See Homunculus diagram).
The sole of the foot has approximately 50 named muscles grouped in four layers!(1)

(Scroll right>>>>....)

Arching the Foot:
Start Position and Action
The Homunculus: The size of the body part represents the number of sensory nerve endings that it contains. Note the size of the feet. Feet have a lot more nerve endings than we give them credit for!

Watch Points

Don't screw your toes up. It is the arches of the foot that you are working on.
Make sure that all five foot arches are forming, and that the foot does not role in or out.

What it does

The author has argued elsewhere that shoed feet are responsible for many of the musculoskeletal ills of modern western civilization(2). Just two comments will be made here:

Orthotic inserts are used (quite successfully) to treat a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. If the foot could use some of its 50 or so muscles to form the natural arch for itself, there would be less need to rely upon shoe inserts.
Try forming the foot arch as hard as you can while walking bare foot! The author guarantees that your Gluteus maximus will strongly engage as your arched foot makes contact with the ground! Gluteal maximus recruitment is poor in modern civilized man, with disasterous consequences!(2)

Reference

Keith L Moore, Arthur F Dalley: Clinically Orientated Anatomy; Fourth Ed. Publ. Lippincort Williams and Wilkins Baltimore, Maryland 21201 ISBN 0-683-06141-0
Bruce Thomson: Engage Gluteus maximus!