To be on pointe...?

Question

what can i work on to strengthen my feet/legs for pointe? I have fitted pointe shoes, but i wont be on pointe for 2 years or so. can you give me exercises and videos to strengthen my feet and legs?

Is it ok that i sometimes go up and down from releve to pointe a few times once or twice week in my pointe shoes? will that help or is it making it worse?

and how can i get more of an arch/instep on my foot when its pointed?

Answer 1

buy a theraband (they have them on discountdance.com) and do exercises with it. (flexing and pointing, rolling through the foot) You can also find some other exercises for therabands on the internet. This will help to strengthen your feet and will also give you a better arch, and a prettier foot in your shoes.

doing some releves in your shoes will help to strengthen your feet, but you should do them with an instructor present to make sure you're doing them right so your muscles develop the right way.

good luck!

Answer 2

the best strengthening exercises that i've found in all my experience is doing releves constantly. in order to prepare our class for pointe, my teacher had us do releves FOREVER....to the point where your calves begin to cramp up. but not only did we releve from standing, but we would extend our foot completely to pointe from the normal releve position (relying on the barre of course). this is an especially great exercise once you are wearing your pointe shoes.

also, when at the barre, try performing the combinations once on flat and then once on releve (like doing battements and ron-de-jambes). not only does this strengthen the muscles in your feet and ankles, but also helps you to build your muscles in your hips, thighs, and calves.

i'm not entirely sure why you already have fitted pointe shoes if you are not going to be on pointe anytime soon. you can definitely expect your feet to grow between now and when you start pointe so you may actually have to get fitted for a whole new pair of shoes. in the meantime, i wouldn't recommend going up and down in your pointe shoes until you are ready to begin your pointe classes. you still have two years to build your strength and going up on your toes now may cause permanent damage to your toe or knee joints. it's best to follow your teacher's guidance.

as for your arches, try putting and insole into your sneakers to help better define your instep. but just know, that's usually genetic, so any changes may be small. unfortunately some people are just born with flat feet :p (i'm one of them).

Answer 3

Ok, first, sell those pointe shoes! Your feet with change a lot in 2 years. They will get stronger for sure, and the pointe shoes fitted will not be good anymore. Also, NEVER EVER go up en pointe EVER! It will damage your feet because you brain will get used to going en pointe a different way then you should, and you could seriously hurt yourself. Stay away from those shoes untill your teacher/studio has talked to you about them.

As for strengthening...

Ankles:

STand on a stair or step so only the balls of your feet are on the stair. Rise to releve and then lower as low as you can without falling off. Do this 30 times a day (at least!). Remember to go slow, it hurts more and helps more. Oh, and make sure to hold onto something when doing this exercise (railing, ect) you don't want to fall and hurt yourself.

For your arch, I suggest an exercise band or theraband. All you do is point and flex your foot with the band around it, and it strengthens your foot! Make sure to get the heaviest weight you can (they usually have medium, heavy, super heavy, ect) because it will strengthen your foot quicker. Here's the link to where you can buy one:

(clikc 'Health and Fitness' on the left side, and keep looking untill you see 'Bunheads Super Heavy Weight Exercise Band')

http://www.discountdance.com/frame_set.p...

Hope this help, have a nice day!!