Flatfoot. Fallen bows. You definitely know if you have it and if you suspect you have it, a very simple way to tell is to press barefoot into a damp grassy area or on a wet paper towel and then step onto a dry spot on the sidewalk. If you see the entire sole of your foot on the footprint, it’s a pretty good indicator that you have flat feet. There should be an open area on the inside footprint between the base of the toes and the heel.

Flat feet affect all ages, even babies who are just learning to walk. But in the case of young children, the problem will usually correct itself only as the child grows and the bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles become stronger with use and walking. For adults, however, no matter what the reason for flat feet is, it takes some work to fix the problem.

Here are 5 things you can do on a daily basis to strengthen and ultimately help repair your flat feet.

1. Keep them straight. Take a minute to evaluate your standing position. Get up and walk around the room for a minute. Stop and look ahead. Now without changing the position of your feet, look down and see where your feet are pointing. For most people, if you drew an imaginary straight line starting from your little finger, you would find that your feet point outward, almost to the point of “duck feet.” If that’s the case for you, rotate your foot at the ankle so that the imaginary line comes out straight in front of you, so that the lines on both feet are parallel and are directed toward any object in the distance in front of you. Remember that position. Every time you stop to stay still, observe the position of your foot and adjust accordingly.
2. Spread your knees. Once your feet are in the straight position mentioned above, try bouncing the knee pads up and down. You may? Most people can’t. Keep trying. It’s usually easier to try picking them up and then letting them go. Once you’ve bounced them up and down a couple of times, try turning your knees open without lifting your feet or bending your knees. Be patient, this is not easy! Imagine trying to get your knees to look at each side wall. What you should notice is that your feet miraculously “get” an arch. Again, each time you stop to stay still, put those feet in position and try to rotate your knees.
3. Raise your toes. This can be done while standing (hold onto a chair if necessary) or while sitting. With your feet on the ground, spread your toes and then lift your toes into the air while keeping the ball of the foot and heel on the ground. Drop them to the ground again. Now next time, try lifting each toe in a wave, starting with the big toe towards the little toe until they are all on top again. Replace them in the opposite order. This helps to strengthen the individual muscles of the foot. If you are standing while trying this exercise, remember your foot position and try to keep your knees bent.
4. Massage the arch. With a tennis ball or similar children’s play ball, massage the arch of your foot daily by rolling your foot back and forth on the ball. Stand up and dive into the ball with your foot, but don’t put your full body weight on the ball. Switch to the other foot.
5. Stretch your calves. One of the foot gurus, expert in body alignment and biomechanics, Katy Bowman exercises for any type of foot problem: calf stretch. Place the ball of your foot on top of a rolled towel and drop your heel to the ground. Keeping weight on the heel of that foot, slowly try to move your free foot forward. Switch to the other side.

If you feel pain in your flat feet, wear an arch support shoe every now and then to ease the pain. Be sure to see your podiatrist if pain persists or if you know you’ve had an injury or trauma to your foot.

Over time, as you strengthen and stretch your foot muscles, you will find that flat feet will no longer be flat. Try the water test again and see if there are any changes! Either way, your feet will be healthier and happier after a little concentrated work and exercise.