People Whose Toes Can Do This One Thing Might Actually Live Longer, Says a Foot Researcher

I’ve been a professional fitness instructor for 20 years, so I understand that training the body as a system is a pillar of long-term health. Core strength, spinal strength, cardio, the rest. But toe strength definitely wasn’t on my list—until recently, when I met a specialist who said weakness in my toes could be a culprit behind chronic hip and knee pain I’ve dealt with throughout my career in fitness.

I’d tried physical therapy, shots, dry needling, different shoes (so many shoes!), K-tape, foam rolling, compression socks—you name the trend or treatment, I’d given it a whirl. Still, my pain persisted.

I stumbled across gait specialist Courtney Conley while I was listening to a podcast. Right then, something clicked. Could my years of joint problems actually be foot problems in disguise? Conley’s words led to my next question: Could these foot problems actually be affecting my potential lifespan?

It might sound a bit dramatic—but Dr. Conley, who is also a chiropractor, says there is a clear connection between foot fitness and longevity. She even wrote an upcoming book on the topic, entitled Walk: Rediscover the Most Natural Way to Boost Your Health and Longevity—One Step at a Time (Balance Books/Hachette, May 2026).

There’s science that agrees. Some comes from more than a decade ago, but 2009 research at Australia’s Victoria University that was published in the peer-reviewed journal Clinical Biomechanics suggested, as the lead researcher, Dr. Karen Mickle, put it: “The strength of your toes is a greater predictor of future falls than many other risk factors.” Dr. Mickle continued: “People with weak toes and toe deformities are twice as likely to fall over.”

Considering falls are the leading cause of injury-related death in adults over 65, according to the national data, foot health might be more connected to longevity than most of us have ever pondered. So I reached out to Dr. Conley to learn more—and to find out what, exactly, my neglected feet might be telling me about my future health.

From dancer to clinician

I learned that for years, Dr. Conley had been a ballerina. Bunions ended her dance career. “I couldn’t wear shoes, and I obviously couldn’t exercise like I wanted to,” she says. She didn’t want surgery, but started seeking a way to heal her feet.

She experienced a lightbulb moment courtesy of her daughter’s rock climbing gear. “She had those finger strengtheners on, and I thought, That’d be a really good idea for your toes—because you can strengthen the intrinsic muscles of the foot, just like you would your hand.”

That eventually led her to develop toe strengthening tools and to build an entire practice around foot health. Her expertise came from lived experience, not just textbooks, with the premise that the feet can reveal subtle signs of disease, affecting everything from circulation and balance to metabolic disorders and more. “Your feet greatly affect the quality of life as you age—pretty much everything you do depends on the ability to walk,” she says. “So it’s important to start thinking about foot strength now.”

The truth about foot health and longevity

The connection between feet and lifespan is tied to one sobering statistic: More than one in five adults over 50 die within one year of a hip fracture. That number climbs significantly higher for those with dementia or who live in nursing homes, according to a 2019 systematic review published in the World Journal of Orthopedics.

“Most falls occur at the initiation of gait,” Dr. Conley says—in other words, when we set out to take a step. “When you stand up and lean forward, the first thing that stops you from falling is your toes pressing into the ground,” Dr. Conley explains.

Past research done at Victoria University affirmed these stakes: Toe strength in older adults decreases anywhere from 20% to 25%, and studies show that reduced toe flexor strength is one of the strongest independent predictors of falls. On the upside, participants in an exercise program related to the research increased their toe strength by an average of 36% in just 12 weeks.

Why your shoes might be making things worse

Dr. Conley believes modern footwear is a major culprit in our collective foot weakness, starting with the shoes we put children in. “If you look at footwear now,” she says, “it doesn’t even look like a shoe.” The ultra-cushioned trend sure can feel comfortable—but when your shoes do all the work, your feet don’t have to. “The more you wear them, the more you’re going to continue to lose strength and sensation.”

Dr. Conley recommends transitioning to “functional footwear”—shoes with a wide toe box and minimal cushioning that allow your toes to splay naturally. “The widest part of your foot, and hence your shoe, should be your toes, period,” she says. “And almost no traditional footwear allows that.”

5 foot exercises to try at home

Interested in trying some foot yoga yourself? Armed with Dr. Conley’s beginner-friendly exercise recommendations, I got to work.

• Ball mobility: Place a small ball (like a lacrosse ball or tennis ball) under your foot. Roll it forward and back from the ball of your foot to the front of your heel, covering the inside, middle, and outside of your foot. You can also “windshield wiper” your foot across the ball. This stimulates the fascia and nerves, waking up the tissues. Spend about 90 seconds per foot.

• Toe and foot mobility: Interlace your fingers between your toes (yes, like you’re holding hands with your foot). With your other hand stabilizing your ankle, make circles with your forefoot, then twist gently to restore range of motion. This helps loosen toes that have become cramped from years in narrow shoes.

• Lift, spread, and reach: Lift all five toes off the ground, spread them as wide as you can, then reach them forward as you place them back down. This builds toe dexterity and helps correct toes that curl under. Repeat 10 times per foot.

• Toe yoga: Try to lift just your big toe while keeping your other four toes pressed to the ground. Then reverse it—lift your four smaller toes while keeping your big toe down. Alternate back and forth. This is harder than it sounds (trust me), but it drives information to your brain and builds independent toe control.

• Calf raises with ball squeeze: Place a small ball between your heel bones (your ankles will be touching it on either side). Holding onto a wall or chair for balance, rise onto the balls of your feet, gently squeezing the bottom of the ball like you’re trying to kiss your heels together. This targets the tibialis posterior muscle and builds foot and ankle stability. Perform 10 to 15 repetitions.

I’d like to tell you I took to them immediately, like the seasoned movement professional I am…but that’s not quite the truth. The exercise that humbled me most was “toe yoga”—lifting your big toe while keeping your other toes down, then reversing it. Simple, right? I stared at my foot like I was trying to move it with telekinesis. I concentrated. I squinted. I may have held my breath. My big toe did not move. Not even a twitch. Meanwhile, my other toes curled and cramped in confused solidarity. Turns out, this is a brain workout, too.

“A lot of people’s big toes will deviate toward the other toes when they try this,” Dr. Conley had warned me. Mine didn’t deviate—it just didn’t go anywhere. It was like my brain had completely lost the connection to my big toe.

Here’s the encouraging part: After about a week of daily practice, something shifted. My big toe finally started responding—hesitantly at first, like a shy kid being called on in class. Now, two weeks in, I can actually lift it independently—most of the time. It’s not graceful, but it’s progress. These balance exercises have been helpful additions to my routine as I rebuild this brain-foot connection.

I’ve also invested in minimalist shoes and toe spacers. Following Dr. Conley’s advice to go slowly, I’m wearing them about an hour a day around my house, gradually working up. The toe spacers felt bizarre at first—like my toes were being gently but firmly interrogated—but I’m getting used to the sensation. Dr. Conley warned that transitioning too quickly can cause problems: “You’ve got to earn your right to get there. It takes six months, 12 months. You have to put the time in.”

What I’ve noticed so far

I’ll be honest: A couple of weeks isn’t enough to reverse a lifetime of foot neglect or cure my knee pain. But I am noticing small changes. When I teach dance, I’m more aware of pressing through my big toe during turns—something that may help prevent another dance class-induced knee injury like one a couple years ago, which forced me to spend several months not exercising, but instead rehabilitating.

I’m walking more mindfully (read: slowly and like I’m brand-new to gravity). My single-leg balance feels slightly more stable. I catch myself wiggling my toes throughout the day now—something I never would have thought to do before. Something I’ve noticed is how my barefoot stance changes the pressure on my painful knees, and that immediate feedback is helping me adjust my posture. It’s not fixed, but it is giving me hope!

Dr. Conley reminded me that real change requires patience. “We’re talking weeks and months, not days, but on the other end of it, it’s so worth it—not just because you’re moving more efficiently, but for longevity,” she says.

The bottom line

Dr. Conley’s message resonated with me: This isn’t just about preventing bunions or plantar fasciitis. It’s about building a body that can carry you through decades of an active, healthy, happy life. “Walking decreases all-cause mortality, decreases diabetes, helps with depression and anxiety—you name it, walking helps with it,” she told me. “[But] you can’t walk five steps when you have foot pain.”

Talk to your healthcare provider before starting any new exercise program, especially if you have existing foot conditions. But simple, consistent foot exercises could be one of the easiest longevity interventions available—and I’m planning to stick with mine.

Get The Healthy newsletter delivered daily and follow The Healthy on Facebook and Instagram. Keep reading:

• Want To Know How Long You’ll Live? New Research Says One Simple Maneuver Could Hint at Heart Disease and Cancer Risk
• New Study: These 3 Simple Changes Could Reduce Your Fall Risk, Say Longevity Experts
• 5 Warning Signs Your Shoes Are Ruining Your Feet
• New Study: Walking Like This Cut Rates of Heart Attacks, Stroke, and Death by More Than 60%