Have you ever experienced pain in the arch of your foot at the start of the snowboarding season?
You’re not alone!
As a snowboard instructor, I often hear riders complain about foot pain, particularly in the arch area.
So, let’s dive into the cause of arch pain and how to relieve it while riding!
To find a solution, I reached out to my friend Toru Akiyama.
He’s currently a trainer for Japan’s national snowboard halfpipe team, one of the top teams in the world. He’s also a licensed physical therapist at an orthopedic clinic in Sapporo.
Here’s what I learned from Trainer Akiyama.
目次
Mechanism
First, let’s explain why your feet hurt while snowboarding.
The plantar fascia is a membrane-like structure on the sole of your foot that supports the foot’s arch (See Figures 1 & 2).
Additionally, there are several muscles called intrinsic foot muscles located between your toes. These muscles also play a crucial role in supporting the foot’s arch (See Figure 3).
The foot pain that occurs at the beginning of the season is believed to be caused by decreased flexibility of the plantar fascia and reduced function of the intrinsic muscles of the foot. As a result, inflammation of the plantar fascia and fatigue or inflammation of the intrinsic muscles occur.
The factors that contribute to inflammation of the plantar fascia and intrinsic muscles include the following:
At the beginning of the season, the strength of the lower body muscles is often insufficient, which can cause the calf muscles to tighten during riding. When the calf muscles become tight, blood flow to the feet is hindered, and the intrinsic muscles of the foot are unable to function properly, leading to pain. This is similar to the principle behind the fatigue you feel in your arms when doing repetitive pull-ups.
Additionally, the cold outdoor environment and wearing boots contribute to reduced blood flow to the feet, which is another factor. A decrease in the flexibility of the plantar fascia and the underuse of intrinsic foot muscles in everyday life also contribute to the issue.
Snowboarding is a balance sport, and while the feet are fixed in boots, the toes work hard to maintain balance. Many riders are conscious of the sensation in their toes when making carving turns. The movement of the toes is essential for maintaining balance.
When intrinsic muscles are not being used effectively, and the flexibility of the plantar fascia is reduced, combined with blood flow issues in the feet, it becomes even harder for the intrinsic muscles to function properly. This leads to inflammation of the intrinsic muscles and plantar fascia.
As the season progresses and the number of riding days increases, calf strength improves, and the intrinsic muscles of the feet gradually become more engaged, resulting in the improvement of the symptoms.
Foot Stretching and Strengthening Exercises
Now, let’s focus on the exercises and stretches that will help prevent foot pain at the start of the season.
The key points are:
• Improve blood flow in the calves
• Loosen the heels, toes, and soles of the feet
• Activate the intrinsic foot muscles
Since it’s difficult to immediately activate the intrinsic muscles, we’ll first focus on creating the conditions that make them easier to engage.
① Calf Massage
Purpose: By loosening the calf muscles, we improve blood flow to the toes and make it easier to activate the intrinsic foot muscles.
Method: Lie on your back with your knees bent. Place one foot’s calf on top of the other knee and massage the calf by sliding the shin over the knee. Imagine massaging between the two bones of the shin—the inner tibia and outer fibula. Perform 20–30 repetitions on both legs, or until you feel a comfortable stretch.
② Heel Massage
Purpose: Improve the movement of the subtalar joint (the joint in the heel) to enhance blood flow to the toes and make it easier to use the intrinsic foot muscles.
Method: Use one hand to stabilize below the ankle, and with the other hand, gently hold and rotate the heel. Roll it gently like you would roll a dough ball. Perform 20–30 rotations on each side.
③ Toe Massage
Purpose: Improve the movement between the bones of the toes (metatarsals), stretch the intrinsic muscles, and enhance blood flow to the toes, making it easier to engage the intrinsic foot muscles.
Method: Hold the base of the big toe and index toe, then move them up and down. After finishing with the big toe and index toe, move to the next set of toes—index and middle, middle and ring, and finally ring and little toes. Perform the up-and-down movement 10–20 times for each pair of toes.
④ Seiza Stretch
Purpose: Stretch and strengthen the plantar fascia and intrinsic foot muscles.
Method:
① Sit in the seiza position (Japanese kneeling).
② Bend your ankles so that the toes touch the ground, and sit back on your heels. People with tight plantar fascia may feel discomfort, so perform this stretch within a comfortable range. Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Do these four exercises daily after a bath.
After a bath, your muscles will be relaxed, making it easier to achieve the desired effect.
To create functional feet, it’s important to practice these exercises regularly, not just before the season. Try to incorporate them as part of your post-bath routine throughout the year.
Additionally, walking barefoot on grass is effective for activating the intrinsic foot muscles. If you visit a park, try it out as well.
1. Boot Tightness
This is the content I learned from Trainer Akiyama.
Now, I will introduce the advice I give to my students during lessons.
First, it is important not to tighten your boots too much.
Especially, I recommend loosening the outer part of the boots, around the foot’s arch area, a bit.
Many students, as well as advanced snowboarders, believe that boots must be tightened properly. Otherwise, they think their heels will lift while riding, but…
Actually, I have a slightly different opinion.
Just like surfing or skateboarding, if you maintain the correct positioning, your heels will not lift. In fact, loosening the boots to some extent will allow your ankles to bend more easily, making it easier to control.
Especially for new boots, they tend to be stiff, so there’s no need to tighten them too much.
However, it is important to tighten the inner boot properly.
If the inner boot is not tight, it will affect the responsiveness.
The outer boot does not need to be tightened as much, but the foot’s arch should be loosened.
After about 50 days of riding, the boots will break in and become softer, so at that point, it’s a good idea to tighten them a bit more.
2. Taking Off Boots During Lunch Break
Next, make sure to take off your boots during lunch breaks.
I strongly recommend removing your boots without hesitation.
Once you take off your boots, be sure to massage the arch of your feet, giving them some care.
This improves blood circulation and will make you feel much more comfortable.
It will make your riding after lunch much easier!
3. My Thoughts on Insoles
Finally, I would like to share my perspective on insoles.
When you say your feet hurt, shop attendants will always recommend insoles.
In fact, many of my instructor colleagues also have this belief.
However, in cases where the soles of your feet hurt, I believe adding insoles may actually make the pain worse.
The reason is that insoles reduce the space inside the boots even more.
I too once used insoles, but I no longer do so.
The reason is that adding insoles reduces the space inside the boots, which in turn hinders the movement of your feet during snowboarding.
Insoles may be effective for people whose boots have become worn out and have more space inside.
For example, after buying new boots and using them for about 50 days, purchasing insoles to improve the fit might be a good idea.
However, if the soles of your feet hurt, using insoles may actually increase the pain, so please consider this carefully.
These are my pieces of advice.
I hope they help reduce the discomfort in your feet.
FUSAKI IIDA @fusakidmk
Originally from Tokyo, Fusaki is a snowboard instructor based in Whistler, Canada, with over 40 seasons of experience. He has instructed more than 12,000 people and shares his expertise through articles and instructional videos, spreading the joy of snowboarding. Fusaki works at Field Gate Inc. in Tokyo, where he sells brands like Endeavor Snowboards, Sandbox Helmets, and Airhole Facemasks.
