Posterior Tibialis Exercises for Runners

Posterior Tibialis Exercises for Runners

Step-by-Step Guide to Posterior Tibialis Strengthening

In this article, I want to provide specific guidance for any runners who have been told to strengthen the posterior tibialis muscle. The following videos and descriptions provide a practical guide for how I usually progress the tibialis posterior strengthening exercises for runners who need to rehab the muscle and tendon.

Strength Workouts for Distance Runners >>
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As your ankle rehab progresses, and you work through the list of posterior tibialis exercises below you’ll move through the following different phases:

1. Unresisted Ankle Movement Through Range

Depending on your injury, in the initial stages of your treatment and rehabilitation, your physiotherapist may well prescribe non-weight bearing, unresisted range of motion exercises, such as the exercise shown in the video below. These help to develop strength and pain-free range of motion into inversion and eversion in particular.

2. Resisted Movement Through Range

As your treatment progresses, resistance exercises further help to build strength and stimulate the healing process of the tibialis posterior tendon. Using a resistance band as per the video below particularly helps to build crucial eccentric strength.

3. Weight Bearing Proprioception

The next progression adds the important weight bearing and proprioceptive elements. Perform this exercise barefoot. The video demonstrates well how tibialis posterior has to constantly work dynamically to maintain medial arch height as the body moves above the foot.

4. Dynamic Weight Bearing Proprioception

As a progression to the above exercise, we now add more dynamic movement from the upper body, while still in single-limb stance. This challenges tibialis posterior further to maintain the medial arch. Once you appreciate how tibialis posterior helps to control dynamic foot posture, knowing how to strengthen tibialis posterior becomes more straight forward.

5. Heel Raise with Inversion

Here’s another weight bearing exercise to build strength in the tibialis posterior muscle, and around the ankle in general. You might also want to check out this similar weight-bearing posterior tibialis strengthening exercise for runners.

6. Low Level Plyometrics

Here’s another weight bearing exercise to build strength in posterior tibialis. You can learn more about plyos here:

Simple Plyometric Drills
for Distance Runners >>

Begin with 5 x 10-second efforts, and see how your tibialis posterior region reacts!

7. Ballistic Heel Raise Off Step

Here’s a ballistic weight-bearing exercise, working through a full range of motion, to build strength in posterior tibialis.

Start gently. Build up to the intensity of the exercise in the video!

8. Phased Return to Running

Once you have worked through this progression of posterior tibialis exercises, and are able to perform them all pain-free. Your physio will probably be happy to let you start on a phased “return to running” programme.

Here’s an example of the free programme I give runners to safely rebuild their mileage after injury:

Return to Running Programme
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Last updated on March 2nd, 2021.

9 Comments

  1. what are causes that make you unable to stand on your toes weakness of PTT is charcot marie tooth may cause

  2. Hey James. Great videos and exercises to strenghten post tib. How about some suggestions on how to strengthen anterior tibialis? Thanks!!

  3. Thanks for posting this James.

    What number of reps/sets do you recommend to start with for each exercise, and how should this progress over time?

    Thanks,
    Colin.

  4. I currently have Tendonitis in my Post. Tib. When I stretch it, it is very sore the next couple days, like I am hurting it. Is this normal? Should I continue to stretch it? Thanks

  5. Great videos. I have been practising most of these, all even in the past few weeks to strengthen my poster tib. and raise my foot arches. My arches have collapsed considerably and I have a lot of work to do. I also need to fix my anterior pelvic tilt – so I must strengthen my glutes and core for all of these issues. I feel like I am going round in circles and nothing is working. Can you give me any tips that I can use so I can see some results?
    *I’ve seen doctors etc, please don’t recommend them to me, they’ve put me in orthotics which have ruined my feet and posture, causing ongoing back problems etc. Any help is really appreciated. Thank you James.

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