No yoga trial
Our searches found no trial of yoga for flat feet in a medical journal. The only reports are a student thesis and a conference abstract about knee alignment, neither peer reviewed, and neither measured the arch.
Yoga guide
Yoga for flat feet: flexible and rigid flat feet, the arch and toes, balance, what yoga can and can't change, what the evidence shows, and classes to follow
No trial has tested yoga for flat feet, and no exercise has been shown to rebuild an arch. Most flat feet, or fallen arches, are normal and need nothing doing: the NHS says they usually cause no problems and shouldn't stop you doing sport. If your feet ache or tire, foot exercises, balance and strength for your hips and legs can help with comfort, and yoga is a good way to do them.
A flat foot that is new, painful, stiff or on one side only is different, and needs checking first. This guide covers flexible and rigid flat feet, the tiptoe check, children's feet, toe yoga and the short foot exercise, what the evidence says about the arch, the adult flat foot that changes, bare feet and diabetes, the warning signs, and the classes to follow.
The short version
Most flat feet are normal
The NHS says flat feet "do not usually cause any problems" and "should not stop you doing any activities, including sports". Podiatrists say the height of the arch "does not have any bearing on how well a foot can function". Among Austrian children aged 3 to 6, 44% had flexible flat feet, falling from 54% at 3 to 24% at 6.
Flexible or rigid is what matters
If the arch comes back when you stand on tiptoe, the flat foot is flexible, a normal variation. One that stays flat, is stiff, painful or on one side only needs checking.
The link with pain is weak
The flattest feet went with slightly more knee pain and, in men, arch pain, in studies that can't show cause. Followed over time, a flat foot was a small risk factor for shin splints only, and novice runners with flatter feet had slightly fewer injuries.
Exercise changes comfort and strength more than shape
The NHS says exercises and insoles "will not change the shape of your feet but can help with things like pain or stiffness". Foot muscle training improved balance and strength but not pain, and adding hip and whole-leg work lowered how far the arch drops by about 2 mm, at low certainty. Yoga's part is the foot work and the standing poses: expect stronger, steadier feet, not a new arch.
A new, painful or one-sided flat foot is different
In adults, it's often the tibialis posterior tendon, more common in women over 40 and often missed. Insoles with strengthening for that tendon helped in small trials. Get it checked before you start.
Flat feet, and where yoga fits
Usually nothing to worry aboutStrong evidence
The NHS describes flat feet, or fallen arches, as feet that "press flat on the ground", and says "They're common and usually nothing to worry about". Sometimes the ankle or lower leg hurts, the arch aches or shoes wear out quickly. There's often no obvious cause, and they sometimes run in families. "You do not need to do anything if you or your child have flat feet and they're not causing any problems."
ChildrenStrong evidence
The NHS says most children's arches develop between 3 and 10. NHS inform: "There is no evidence that special shoes, insoles or exercises will make a child's arch develop if it is not already going to do so", and children with painless flat feet should be encouraged to stay active. Children's orthopaedic surgeons: "The pain-free flexible flatfoot needs reassurance and NOT referral or treatment".
Flexible or rigidStrong evidence
A flexible flat foot looks flat when you stand, but its arch comes back when you sit or stand on tiptoe; a rigid one stays flat either way. Children's orthopaedic surgeons say the arch reappearing on tiptoe tells the two apart, and that a flat foot on one side only is a red flag. A stiff, painful flat foot in a teenager can be two foot bones joined together (a tarsal coalition), which has its own guide.
The adult flat foot that changesEmerging evidence
When the tibialis posterior tendon, which runs behind the inner ankle bone into the arch, starts to fail, the arch drops, often on one side, with pain and swelling along the inside of the ankle and trouble rising onto tiptoe on that foot. US surgeons now call it progressive collapsing foot deformity; it's more common in women and over 40. In one English practice, 3.3% of women over 40 had it, and none had been diagnosed.
Flat feet and painEmerging evidence
In older adults in the Framingham study, flatter feet went with slightly higher odds of knee pain (about 1.3 times) and, in men, arch pain, but these snapshots can't show cause. Across 21 studies that followed people, a flat (pronated) foot was a small risk factor for shin splints and wasn't linked with foot, ankle or general overuse injuries; in 927 novice runners, flatter feet had slightly fewer injuries.
Where yoga fits
As the foot work (toe yoga, the short foot exercise, towel curls and heel raises) and the hip, leg and balance work that reviews suggest adding to it. A painless flat foot needs no programme at all; yoga is for comfort and strength if your feet ache or tire (our reading).
Check: flexible or rigid?
The tiptoe check that children's orthopaedic surgeons and US surgeons describe, in our words. It isn't a diagnosis.
- Stand barefoot with your feet hip-width apart and look at the inside of each foot: is there a gap under the arch?
- Rise slowly onto tiptoe, holding a wall or a counter.
- If an arch appears as your heels lift, your flat feet are flexible: a normal variation.
- If a foot stays flat on tiptoe, or is stiff or painful, see a GP.
See the movement on the 3D figure: Slow calf raise
What the evidence says
Foot and leg strength, insoles for a painful foot and time for children carry the evidence. Yoga has no trial.
No yoga trialStrong evidence
PubMed, Europe PMC and Crossref searches found no trial of yoga for flat feet. A 2021 Czech student thesis tried yoga poses in individual volunteers, before and after, with no comparison group; a 2025 conference abstract in 45 women with flat feet measured knee alignment on landing, not the arch, and gave no numbers. A claim that 12 weeks of yoga raised the arch couldn't be traced to any study.
The short foot exercise: small and uncertainMixed evidence
In 6 small trials (201 people with flat feet), the short foot exercise changed arch measures slightly, with no change in the size of the foot muscles; a 2024 review found no clear difference from control overall, with effects only after about 6 weeks or more. Four of 6 studies in another review found the arch improved with 5 weeks or more.
Foot muscle trainingEmerging evidence
Across 13 trials, training the small foot muscles improved arch measures, balance, strength and how well people felt their feet worked, but didn't ease pain better than control.
Source 13
Adding hip and whole-leg workEmerging evidence
Across 11 trials (410 people) with flexible flat feet, programmes that added hip or whole-leg work lowered how far the arch drops by about 2 mm, at low certainty, with too little evidence on pain. A network of 11 trials ranked tendon strengthening with hip and core work best, though several of its estimates were uncertain. Yoga's standing poses train the hips and legs, but no study has tested them for this (our reading).
Insoles and exercise in adultsMixed evidence
Across 10 trials in adults, both exercise and insoles reduced pain but didn't realign the foot.
Source 25
Children: insoles and special shoes don't build archesStrong evidence
In healthy children with painless flat feet, insoles made little or no difference to pain at a year (a Cochrane review of 16 trials and 1,058 children, low certainty). In 129 children, corrective shoes and inserts for 3 years didn't change how the foot developed, and arches improved with growth whatever children wore.
A painful, dropping arch: strengthen the tendonEmerging evidence
In 36 adults with early tendon problems, everyone wore insoles and stretched for 12 weeks; adding resisted exercise helped, slow lowering most. In another trial of 39, a home programme added little. A review of the 3 trials (93 people) found moderate effects and very little good research.
Toe yoga and the short foot exercise
Neither has a 3D demo, so they're given as written steps, the same as on our yoga for feet guide. The towel toe curl below is the nearest move with a demo.
Toe yoga
Toe yoga trains control of the small foot muscles. No study has tested it by that name, for flat feet or anything else. Our editorial starting point: 5 to 10 slow repetitions of each part, once a day, sitting at first, then standing.
- Sit with your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
- Lift your big toe while the other four stay on the floor. Lower it.
- Press your big toe down while you lift the other four. Lower them.
- Spread all ten toes as wide as you can, then relax.
- If a toe won't move on its own yet, help it with your hand at first.
The short foot exercise
This draws your arch up without curling your toes. Our editorial starting point: 5 to 10 holds of 5 seconds, sitting first, then standing, then on one leg. In trials, changes in the arch took 5 weeks or more.
- Sit with your foot flat and your toes relaxed.
- Slide the ball of your big toe towards your heel, so the arch lifts, keeping your toes long and flat.
- Hold for 5 seconds, then relax.
- Spread your toes wide before the next one.
Feet and ankles, sitting
Barefoot or in thin socks. Towel toe curl: 2 sets of 12 each foot; band inversion, sweeping the foot in against a light band: 8 each side (our foot and ankle routine). Ankle circles: 10 slow circles each way with each foot (the move's page). Seated calf raise, pressing through the big-toe side of your foot: 15 (our Pilates for flat feet class). With pain on the inside of the ankle, get it checked first, then follow the tendon plan on our flat feet guide.
Standing and balance
Next to a wall or counter. Mountain pose: 5 slow breaths, weight spread over your heels and the balls of your feet, lifting and spreading your toes, then letting them rest; tree pose with your fingertips on a wall and the lifted foot at your ankle: 2 holds of 20 to 30 seconds each side; warrior II: 3 to 5 breaths each side (our yoga for plantar fasciitis class). Slow calf raise, rising through the big toe so your ankles don't roll out: 2 sets of 10; one-leg stand: 2 holds of 30 seconds each leg (our Pilates for flat feet class). Tandem stance, then heel-to-toe walk: 30 seconds, then 10 steps (our foot and ankle routine). Keep the arch of the standing foot lifted without gripping with your toes (our suggestion).
3D demoMountain pose (Tadasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoTree pose (Vrksasana)Beginner · No equipment
3D demoWarrior II (Virabhadrasana II)Intermediate · No equipment
3D demoSlow calf raiseBeginner · A wall
3D demoSingle-leg standBeginner · A wall
3D demoTandem stance and heel-to-toe walkBeginner · A wallHips and legs
Clamshell, a small opening with your pelvis still: 2 sets of 10 each side (our yoga for sacroiliac joint pain class). Bridge, pressing evenly through the whole foot: 2 sets of 10 (our yoga for spinal stenosis class). Warrior III with your hands on a chair at hip height: 3 breaths each side, twice (our yoga for footballers class).
Calf stretches, gently
Wall calf stretch: 2 holds of 30 seconds each side, easing off if the inside of your ankle pinches (our Pilates for flat feet class); soleus wall stretch, back knee bent: 2 holds of 30 seconds each side (our yoga for basketball players class). With a sore inner ankle, a review of the tendon trials warns that stretching to the end of the range may work against the tendon, so keep them gentle and optional.
What to change or leave out
Our suggestions, agreeing with our flat feet and yoga for feet guides.
Hero pose to "lift the arch"
No study shows it does. Hero pose and sitting on your heels press on the knees and point the feet; sit on a block, and come up at once if your feet tingle or go numb, as our hero pose page says.
Source 1
Half-lotus tree pose
Leave it out: it adds strain on the knee and nothing for the foot. Rest the lifted foot at your ankle or calf instead.
Hard inner-ankle stretches with a sore tendon
Strengthen that tendon rather than stretching it, as the trials did, and keep calf stretches gentle.
Source 30
Long standing holds while your feet ache
Keep holds short and sit between sides, as our yoga for plantar fasciitis class does.
Toes tucked under
Kneel with your toes tucked under only if it's comfortable, and skip it with a bunion, an arthritic big toe or pain under the ball of your foot, as our yoga for feet guide says.
Very bendy joints
Podiatrists list joint hypermobility among the causes of a flat foot.
If you're hypermobile, don't use mobility work to push further: the NHS says "do not overextend your joints just because you can". See a GP if you think you have joint hypermobility syndrome: for example, your joints keep dislocating, or you keep getting sprains, strains, pain or stiffness.
Children's flat feet
Reassurance, not treatment
Most young children have flat feet, and arches usually develop between 3 and 10. A painless flexible flat foot needs no exercise programme, insoles or referral. Yoga is fine as play and exercise if your child enjoys it; our yoga for kids guide has ideas.
When to see a GP
See a GP if your child's flat foot is painful, stiff or rigid, affects only one foot or looks very different from the other, is new, or stays flat when they stand on tiptoe; or if they often sprain an ankle, have problems with walking or balance, or struggle to keep up with activities because of their feet.
Source 7
A painful, dropping arch
Get it checked, then load the tendon
A flat foot that is new, painful or on one side only in an adult is often the tibialis posterior tendon. US surgeons say easing off what hurts and switching to low-impact exercise is the first step, and that pain may last more than 3 months even with early treatment. Our flat feet guide has a 12-week plan built on the tendon trials, and gentle yoga for the hips and the rest of you can carry on alongside.
Bare feet, shoes and diabetes
Bare feet: fine for mostMixed evidence
Yoga on a clean mat in bare feet suits most people. Surveys in India found more flat feet in children who wore shoes, but a survey in Nigeria found age, not footwear, explained it, so going barefoot isn't a proven fix.
If standing hurts
The NHS says wide, comfortable shoes with a low heel are usually best for painful flat feet; standing poses in supportive shoes are fine (our suggestion).
Source 4
Numb feet or diabetes: shoes for standing posesStrong evidence
The international diabetic foot guideline asks people with diabetes who are at risk of foot ulcers to protect their feet "by not walking barefoot, not walking in socks without shoes, or not walking in thin-soled slippers, whether indoors or outdoors". With numb feet or diabetes, do standing poses in well-fitting shoes, or chair yoga, and check your feet after each session (our suggestion, as on our yoga for feet guide).
Classes to follow
Do the foot and ankle routine, or toe yoga and the short foot exercise, before the yoga for balance class, 2 or 3 times a week (our editorial starting point). The Pilates class puts seated foot work, standing heel raises and hip work in one session. With heel pain, use the plantar fasciitis class; with numb feet, the neuropathy class, done in shoes.
Foot and ankle strengthening routine: toes, arches, calves and balance
A 15-minute barefoot routine for stronger toes, arches, calves and ankles, finishing with balance. You need only a towel, a wall and a resistance band.
15 minBeginner11 movesA wall, Other / check instructions
Yoga for balance: a 30-minute standing class, from steady to moving
Thirty minutes of standing yoga for balance: strong standing poses, one-leg poses at the wall, and side steps, backward steps, reaches and sit-to-stands.
30 minBeginner16 movesA wall, A bench or boxFeet-first Pilates for flat feet: a 25-minute class for the arches, ankles, hips and balance
A 25-minute Pilates class for flat feet: seated foot and ankle work, standing heel raises and balance, then Pilates for the hips and a gentle calf stretch.
25 minBeginner14 movesOther / check instructions, A bench or box
Yoga for plantar fasciitis: a 25-minute class that starts sitting, with sole and calf stretches and heel raises
A 25-minute yoga class for heel pain: sole and calf stretches before you stand, heavy heel raises every second day, short standing poses and a rest.
25 minBeginner14 movesA bench or box, Other / check instructions
Yoga for neuropathy: a 25-minute class in shoes, sitting then at a counter
A 25-minute yoga class for numb or tingling feet and hands: seated breathing, foot, ankle and hand work, standing poses at a counter in shoes, and a seated finish.
25 minBeginner17 movesA bench or box, Something with weightWarning signs: when to get help
These are the same warning signs as our flat feet and foot pain guides, word for word. This is general information, not a diagnosis. A&E means accident and emergency; in the US, call 911 for 999.
Call 999 or go to A&E
- Call 999 or go to A&E: you have diabetes and a foot ulcer with a fever or signs of sepsis, an ulcer with poor circulation, a possible deep infection of the soft tissues or bone in the foot (with or without an ulcer), or gangrene. NICE asks for these to go straight to hospital.
- Call 999 or go to A&E: after an injury, you heard a crack, the foot or ankle has changed shape or points at an odd angle, a bone is sticking out, there is a bad cut over it, you're in severe pain, or the toes look blue or white, feel numb or are cold to touch. These can mean a broken bone. Don't drive yourself.
Get help the same day
- Same day: you have diabetes and a new foot problem, such as an ulcer or wound, signs of infection, or a hot, swollen foot with a change in colour, even if it doesn't hurt. Contact your diabetes foot team or GP: NICE asks for these to reach a specialist foot service within 1 working day, and a suspected Charcot foot is kept off weight until it has been checked.
- Same day: a sudden pop on the inside of the ankle followed by a change in the shape of the foot. The tendon may have torn (our suggestion).
- Same day: a sudden, very painful, hot, swollen, red joint, often the big toe but sometimes the middle of the foot (the midfoot) or the ankle, especially with a high temperature, feeling shivery or being unable to eat. It may be gout, but it could be a joint infection (septic arthritis), which is urgent.
See a GP: a foot that flattens, with pain on the inside of the ankle
- Flat feet that are painful, stiff, weak or numb, that you didn't have before, or that affect only one foot, or flat feet and you often get foot or ankle injuries or have problems with walking or balance.
- You can't do a single-leg heel raise on the painful side, or the foot is visibly flattening.
- Pain on the outside of the ankle as well as the inside, which can mean the foot shape is changing.
- Not improving after about 6 weeks of insoles and exercise (our suggestion).
- Tingling or loss of feeling in the foot, or a foot that feels weak.
- Any foot pain if you have diabetes: foot problems can be more serious.
A child's flat foot
- See a GP if your child's flat foot is painful, stiff or rigid, affects only one foot or looks very different from the other, is new, or stays flat when they stand on tiptoe; or if they often sprain an ankle, have problems with walking or balance, or struggle to keep up with activities because of their feet.
- A flat foot whose arch doesn't come back when your child stands on tiptoe, a flat foot on one side only, or a flat foot with a tight calf: see a GP. Children's orthopaedic surgeons call a one-sided flat foot a red flag that needs further assessment.
Source 7
A high arch is a different sign
A high arch that is new, getting higher or only in one foot, or high arches with weakness, tripping, numbness or ankles that keep giving way: see a GP. It can be the first sign of a nerve condition.
The pain rule for a sore inner ankle
Some discomfort during exercise is fine. Aim for pain you would call mild to moderate, no more than about 5 out of 10, that settles within an hour, with no more swelling or stiffness the next morning. If it's worse the next day, do a little less (a smaller range, fewer reps, a lighter band), not nothing.
For tendon pain on the inner ankle, the 5 out of 10 figure borrows the pain-monitoring rule from an Achilles trial, in which carrying on with activity under the rule did no harm. It hasn't been tested in this tendon.
Chest pain or fainting: call 999
Call 999 if:
- You get sudden pain or discomfort in your chest that doesn't go away; it can feel like squeezing or pressure, burning or indigestion.
- The pain spreads to your left or right arm, or your neck, jaw, stomach or back.
- You have chest pain and feel sweaty, sick, light-headed or short of breath.
- Someone faints while exercising, can't be woken within 1 minute, or has chest pain or a pounding, fluttering or irregular heartbeat.
Unusual breathlessness
Call 999 or go to A&E (accident and emergency) straight away for severe difficulty breathing (gasping, choking or not able to get words out), a chest that feels tight or heavy, pain that spreads to your arms, back, neck and jaw, lips or skin turning very pale, blue or grey, or sudden confusion. If you're more short of breath than usual, or your heart is racing, fluttering or skipping beats, contact NHS 111.
Source 39
During yoga
A joint pain that is sharp, gets worse during a session, lingers into the next day or changes how you move is a reason to use an easier version, and to see a GP or physiotherapist if it keeps happening (the rule in our plans). Muscle soreness for a day or two after something new is normal. In a hot class, stop if you feel dizzy, sick or unwell; our hot yoga guide lists the signs of heat illness.
Before you start
The NHS advises getting advice from a healthcare professional first if you have a health problem, an injury or symptoms, or have recently had a heart attack or an operation.
Myths
"Flat feet must be fixed"Strong evidence
Most flat feet cause no problems and need no treatment; the height of the arch doesn't affect how well a foot works, and children's orthopaedic surgeons say a painless flexible flat foot needs reassurance, not treatment.
"Yoga can rebuild your arches"Strong evidence
No trial has tested yoga for flat feet, the NHS says exercises "will not change the shape of your feet", and short foot training changed arch measures only slightly, or not clearly.
"Hero pose lifts the arch"Mixed evidence
No study supports it either way, and hero pose has knee and numb-foot cautions.
Source 1
"Flat feet cause knee pain and injuries"Emerging evidence
Links with knee and arch pain are small and come from snapshots; followed over time, a flat foot was a small risk factor for shin splints only, and novice runners with flatter feet had slightly fewer injuries.
"Children need insoles or special shoes to grow arches"Strong evidence
Insoles made little or no difference to pain in healthy children, and corrective shoes and inserts didn't change how the foot developed. Arches improve with growth.
"Going barefoot fixes flat feet"Mixed evidence
Surveys disagree about shoes and flat feet, and no trial has tested going barefoot. Bare feet on a mat are fine for most people, but not with numb feet or diabetes.
Read next
- Flat feet: when they need treatment, and exercises
- Posterior tibial tendonitis
- Tarsal coalition
- Foot pain in children
- High arches
- Foot pain
- Yoga for feet and toe yoga
- Yoga for plantar fasciitis
- Yoga for balance
- Yoga for kids
- Yoga for diabetes
- Yoga for neuropathy
- Pilates for flat feet
- Pilates for the feet
- Fascia release for the feet
- How to strengthen your feet
- The tibialis posterior
- The ankle and foot
- Foot and ankle strengthening routine
- The yoga guide
Questions people ask
Is yoga good for flat feet?
It can be good exercise for achy or tired flat feet, but no trial has shown that yoga changes the arch or eases flat-foot pain. Its strengths are foot strength, balance, and the hip and leg work that reviews suggest adding to foot exercises.
Can yoga fix flat feet?
Most flat feet don't need fixing: the NHS says they usually cause no problems. Exercise can help pain or stiffness, but the NHS says it won't change the shape of your feet, and foot exercises changed arch measures only slightly in trials.
What are the best yoga poses for flat feet?
Toe yoga and the short foot exercise sitting down, then mountain pose with your toes spread, calf raises rising through the big toe, tree and one-leg stands, warrior II, and hip work such as bridges and clamshells. Our foot and ankle routine and yoga for balance class put most of them together.
Are my flat feet flexible or rigid?
Stand on tiptoe: if an arch appears, they're flexible, which is a normal variation. If a foot stays flat on tiptoe, or is stiff, painful or affects only one side, see a GP.
Do flat feet cause knee or back pain?
Not as a rule. The flattest feet went with slightly more knee and arch pain in snapshot studies, and in studies that followed people, a flat foot was a small risk factor only for shin splints.
How long do flat feet exercises take to work?
Arch measures changed after about 5 to 6 weeks in trials, and the tendon trials ran for 12 weeks. Expect stronger, steadier feet rather than a new arch shape.
Should I do yoga barefoot with flat feet?
Barefoot on a mat is fine for most people, and supportive shoes are fine if standing hurts. With numb feet or diabetes, wear well-fitting shoes for standing poses and check your feet afterwards, as an international diabetic foot guideline advises against going barefoot.
Does toe yoga help flat feet?
It trains control of the small foot muscles, but no study has tested toe yoga by that name or for flat feet. Foot muscle training in general improved strength and balance in trials, though not pain.
My child has flat feet. Should they do yoga?
Only if they enjoy it: most children develop arches between 3 and 10, and a painless flexible flat foot needs reassurance, not treatment. See a GP if a child's flat foot is painful, stiff or on one side only.
One of my arches is dropping and the inside of my ankle hurts. Is yoga OK?
Get it checked first: in adults this is often the tibialis posterior tendon, more common in women over 40. Insoles with strengthening for that tendon helped in small trials, and gentle yoga for the rest of you can carry on alongside.
Do I need insoles as well?
Only if your flat feet hurt or cause problems, the NHS says. In adults, insoles and exercise both reduced pain without changing the shape of the foot; in healthy children with painless flat feet, insoles made little or no difference.
Is hero pose good for flat feet?
No study shows it lifts the arch. Sitting between your heels presses on the knees and the tops of the feet; sit on a block and come up at once if your feet go numb.
Sources
- PubMed, Europe PMC and Crossref · Our searches for yoga trials in flat feet (none) and for toe yoga (no records) (31 October 2026)
- Kučerová 2021 · Yoga therapy for flat feet (bachelor thesis, Czech Technical University in Prague; abstract only, not peer reviewed)
- Shiranzaei 2025 · Yoga asanas or Janda exercises and knee alignment in 45 women with flat feet (congress abstract, University of Tehran; not peer reviewed)
- NHS · Flat feet
- Royal College of Podiatry · Flat foot
- Pfeiffer 2006 · Flat feet in 835 children aged 3 to 6 (cross-sectional study, Pediatrics)
- British Society for Children's Orthopaedic Surgery · Consensus statements on the management of flexible flatfeet in children
- AAOS OrthoInfo · Flexible flatfoot in children
- Gross 2011 · Flat feet, knee pain and cartilage damage in 1,903 older adults (cross-sectional study, Arthritis Care Res)
- Menz 2013 · Flat foot posture and foot pain: the Framingham foot study (cross-sectional study, Arthritis Care Res)
- Neal 2014 · Foot posture as a risk factor for leg overuse injury: 21 cohorts (systematic review and meta-analysis, J Foot Ankle Res; read in full)
- Nielsen 2014 · Foot pronation and injuries in 927 novice runners (1-year cohort, Br J Sports Med)
- Jaffri 2023 · Training the small foot muscles and foot function: 13 trials (systematic review and meta-analysis, J Athl Train)
- Xiong 2026 · Adding hip and whole-leg work to exercise for flexible flat feet: 14 trials (systematic review and meta-analysis, Front Physiol)
- AAOS OrthoInfo · Progressive collapsing foot deformity (flatfoot)
- Kohls-Gatzoulis 2009 · Tibialis posterior tendon dysfunction in women over 40 in one English practice (prevalence study, Foot Ankle Surg)
- Kulig 2009 · Orthoses and resistive exercise for posterior tibial tendon dysfunction: 36 people (randomised trial, Phys Ther)
- NHS inform · Flat feet in children and young people
- Myerson 2020 · Progressive collapsing foot deformity: classification and nomenclature (expert consensus, Foot Ankle Int)
- Riskowski 2013 · Foot posture and lower limb pain: the Framingham foot study (cross-sectional study, Arthritis Care Res)
- Jia 2024 · Exercise therapies for adult flexible flat feet: 11 trials (network meta-analysis, Sci Rep)
- Huang 2022 · The short foot exercise in flat feet: 6 trials (meta-analysis, Int J Environ Res Public Health; read in full)
- Cheng 2024 · Short foot training and foot posture in flat feet (systematic review and meta-analysis, J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil)
- Hara 2023 · The short foot exercise for flat foot: 9 trials (systematic review, J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil)
- Hoang 2021 · Orthoses and exercise for adult flat feet: 10 trials (network meta-analysis, Int J Environ Res Public Health)
- Evans 2022 · Foot orthoses for treating flat feet in children: 16 trials, 1,058 children (Cochrane review)
- Choi 2020 · The long-term effect of orthoses on children's flexible flat feet (systematic review, Foot Ankle Surg)
- Wenger 1989 · Corrective shoes and inserts for flexible flat feet in 129 children (randomised trial, J Bone Joint Surg Am)
- Houck 2015 · Orthosis with stretching, or with stretching and strengthening, for stage II tibialis posterior tendon dysfunction: 39 people (randomised trial, Foot Ankle Int)
- Ross 2018 · Exercise for posterior tibial tendon dysfunction: 3 trials (systematic review, BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med; read in full)
- NHS · Joint hypermobility syndrome (past its review date: reviewed August 2023, review due August 2026)
- Rao 1992 · Footwear and flat feet in 2,300 Indian children (cross-sectional survey, J Bone Joint Surg Br)
- Abolarin 2011 · Age, footwear and flat feet in 560 Nigerian children (cross-sectional study, Foot)
- Bus 2023 · Guidelines on the prevention of foot ulcers in persons with diabetes (International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot, IWGDF 2023 update; read in full)
- NICE NG19 · Diabetic foot problems: prevention and management
- NHS · Complications of type 2 diabetes
- NHS · Chest pain (past its review date: reviewed August 2023, review due August 2026)
- NHS · Fainting
- NHS · Shortness of breath
Exercise education, not a personal prescription, and clinical review of these guides is pending. If you are pregnant, have a health condition such as glaucoma, high blood pressure or osteoporosis, or have had recent surgery, check with a doctor, midwife or physiotherapist before starting, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.