Foot Core Muscle Training to Reduce Running-Related Injuries
By Dr. Yi-Cheng Wu · Reviewed June 21, 2026
The study found that foot core muscle training was associated with a lower rate of running-related injuries among runners.
A 2020 study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, which enrolled 118 runners, found that compared with a control group doing static stretching only, runners who did 8 weeks of foot core muscle training three times a week had a different running-related injury rate over the study period, and the time to injury was correlated with the foot posture index and the gain in foot strength scores. The researchers suggested this may relate to improvements in foot structure and dynamic muscle performance, and the difference was more apparent after about 4 to 8 months of training. These are study results and do not predict any individual's outcome.
In a 2020 study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM), 118 runners were assessed at the start and then assigned to two different groups:
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Foot core training group: performed supervised foot and ankle muscle training, which lasted 8 weeks with three sessions per week.
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Control group: received placebo static stretching advice.
The main findings of the study were as follows.
Injury prevalence: over the 12-month study period, participants in the control group were 2.42 times more likely than those in the experimental group to sustain a running-related injury.
Foot posture and strength: the time to injury was correlated with the foot posture index (r = -0.41) and the gain in foot strength (r = -0.45) scores.
In this study, foot core training was associated with a lower risk of running-related injuries among general runners, and this association was most apparent after 4 to 8 months of training. Through this kind of foot training, runners may have increased the strength of their foot structures and the dynamic performance of their foot muscles, allowing them to better distribute force loads during exercise and lower injury risk. These are trial results and do not predict any individual’s outcome.
Unfortunately, the web-based software training protocol demonstrated in this study is no longer traceable. However, another 2022 study on foot muscles, with a smaller sample but a similar conclusion after 12 weeks of training, listed core training movements for reference.
Personal note: runners can strengthen their foot muscle training earlier to reduce the risk of running-related injuries.
References
- Am J Sports Med. 2020 Dec;48(14):3610-3619.
- Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2022 Oct 5:10:1022910.
Further reading
Frequently asked questions
Who might consider foot core muscle training?
The study participants were general runners, and the results showed that foot core training was associated with a lower rate of running-related injuries. For runners focused on injury prevention, foot muscle training can be incorporated into a plan after a professional assessment, depending on your individual situation.
How is foot core muscle training done?
The training used in the study was 8 weeks of supervised foot and ankle muscle training, three times a week. The training software used in the original study is no longer traceable; the article instead references a set of core training movements listed in a 2022 study for reference. The actual content should still be adjusted by a professional based on your individual situation.
When does the effect of foot core training become more apparent?
The study showed that the association between foot core training and a lower rate of running-related injuries was more apparent after about 4 to 8 months of training. The researchers suggested this may relate to improvements in the strength of foot structures and dynamic muscle performance.
This article is also available in the original Chinese, with the full reference list.
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