Fix Duck Feet: Corrective Exercises for Better Posture

By Kian
Last Update:

Are you often compared to a waddling duck when you walk, due to your outward-pointing feet? If yes, then you might be dealing with a condition commonly referred to as ‘duck feet’. This peculiar postural issue is not just an aesthetic concern but can also lead to discomfort and affect the efficiency of your movements. More importantly, duck feet can potentially increase your risk of experiencing joint pain or injury in the future.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through understanding, addressing, and correcting duck feet through targeted exercises and techniques.

I. Understanding Duck Feet Posture: A Common Cause

While duck feet posture can stem from various factors, a common cause is the chronic external rotation of the hips. In such cases, the muscles responsible for externally rotating the hip, primarily located in your lower buttock area, become overly tight and dysfunctional.

This leads to an outward turn of the femurs and, subsequently, the characteristic outward point of the feet seen in duck feet posture.

II. The Comprehensive Plan to Correct Duck Feet

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To effectively address duck feet caused by the external rotation of the hips, we’ll employ a holistic approach aimed at the root cause – the over-dominance of external rotation. Our strategy is designed to restore balance in hip muscle function and realign your feet.

Here’s our plan:

  1. Release and Stretch: The first step involves releasing the tension in the external rotators, then stretching these muscles. This aims to alleviate their tightness, contributing to the feet’ outward pointing.
  2. Strengthen: Next, we’ll focus on strengthening the internal rotators, which counteract the actions of the external rotators. Often, these muscles are weak in cases of duck feet, leading to a lack of balance in the forces exerted on your legs. Strengthening these muscles will help counteract the excessive external rotation and promote better alignment.
  3. Improve Mobility: Lastly, we’ll aim to enhance your hip mobility by increasing your hip’s ability to rotate internally. Enhanced mobility will support the alignment of your feet and reduce the degree of external rotation.

In the following sections, we’ll delve deeper into these steps, helping you understand their rationale and how to incorporate them into your routine to effectively correct duck feet posture.

III. Releasing the External Rotators

To start correcting duck feet posture, the first technique involves releasing the tension in your external hip rotators. We will use foam rolling to do this. This helps to alleviate the tightness that can contribute to your feet pointing outward.

Foam rolling for the hip rotators

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  • Start by sitting on a foam roller with your feet flat on the floor and your hands resting behind you for support.
  • Cross your right ankle over your left knee, forming a figure-four shape.
  • Shift your weight onto the right glute, where you’ll feel pressure from the foam roller.
  • Roll back and forth on the foam roller, targeting the lower glute and hip area.
  • Continue this for about a minute, then switch sides and repeat with the left glute.

If you don’t find you are getting the release you need from using a foam roller, try using a massage ball instead.

IV. Stretching the External Rotators

Now that you’ve released the tension in your hip rotators, the next step is to further increase their flexibility through stretching. Here are a couple of effective stretches that target the external hip rotators:

Seated piriformis stretch

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  • Sit on a chair, keeping your feet flat on the floor.
  • Cross your right ankle over your left knee, forming a figure-four.
  • Gently push down on your right knee while keeping your spine straight.
  • You should feel a stretch in your right hip and glute area.
  • Hold this stretch for at least 30 seconds, then switch sides and repeat with the left leg.

Figure-four stretch

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  • Lie down on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
  • Cross your right ankle over your left knee.
  • Grab your left thigh with both hands and pull it towards your chest.
  • Hold this stretch for at least 30 seconds, feeling a stretch in the right hip and glute.
  • Switch sides and repeat the stretch with the left leg.

V. Enhancing Hip Mobility

While focusing on releasing and stretching the external rotators, improving your hip mobility is crucial, particularly its internal rotation. This is particularly helpful for those who have duck feet due to external rotation of the hips.

Here’s an effective exercise that enhances your hip mobility:

Internal hip rotation exercise

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  • Start by lying on your back, keeping your knees bent.
  • Position your feet slightly wider than your hip-width apart.
  • Let both knees gently drop inward towards each other, allowing your hips to rotate internally.
  • Maintain this position for a few seconds.
  • Then, slowly separate your knees, returning to the initial position.
  • Repeat this motion for around 10 to 15 repetitions.

This exercise improves your hip’s internal rotation, contributing to a more balanced and healthier hip alignment.

VI. Strengthening the Internal Rotators

With the external hip rotators now released and stretched, and the hip internal rotation mobility improved, the next step in our plan is to strengthen the internal hip rotators.

This is crucial as it will help balance the forces acting on your legs and counteract the excessive external rotation. Here are two exercises to help you achieve this:

Reverse clam

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  • Lie on your side with a foam roller or pillow between your thighs.
  • Keep your feet together while opening your knees apart, lifting the top knee while pressing down the foam roller with the bottom one.
  • Slowly lower the top knee back down.
  • Perform this exercise for 10-15 repetitions, then switch sides.

Resistance band exercise

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  • Sit on a chair with a resistance band around your ankles, with the other end tied to something sturdy.
  • Keeping your knee stationary, move your foot outward against the band’s resistance.
  • Then, slowly move your foot back to the starting position.
  • Repeat this exercise for 10-15 repetitions, then switch sides.

VII. Other Potential Causes of Duck Feet

While we’ve extensively discussed how external hip rotation can lead to duck feet, it’s crucial to acknowledge that there may be other causes. Let’s discuss a few more potential causes for this condition.

Keep in mind if you’ve been diligently doing the exercises but haven’t noticed improvements, you might want to consider the following possibilities:

Posteriorly Tilted Pelvis

A posterior pelvic tilt can be one of the factors causing duck feet. This is when your pelvis and tailbone tuck under you, leading to a flattened or even rounded lower back.

If this cause resonates with your condition, you’ll need to focus on fixing your posterior pelvic tilt by loosening your buttocks and hamstrings and strengthening your core to achieve a more neutral pelvis.

Tibial External Rotation

Sometimes, duck feet occur even without having externally rotated hips. If this is the case for you, the issue might lie below your knee. Tight hamstrings can cause your shin bones to rotate outwards, pointing your feet out. This condition can also cause knee pain during intense activities.

Lay on your back and observe your feet to check for external tibial rotation. You may have this condition if your toes point outwards while your kneecaps face upwards. Releasing and stretching your lateral hamstring may help you in this case.

Lack of Ankle Mobility

Though not as common, duck feet can also be caused by ankle mobility issues. If you have limited dorsiflexion (upward toe-pointing towards your shins) or plantar flexion (downward toe-pointing), you might compensate by walking on the outer edge of your feet, which can lead to a duck-footed gait.

This can also result from an improperly healed injury, which could limit the movement to avoid pain, creating scar tissue and further reducing your dorsiflexion and plantar flexion.

If you suspect this might be your case, improving your ankle dorsiflexion can improve your condition.

Flat Feet/Pronated Foot

Flat feet, a condition where your foot arches are flattened or even non-existent, can lead to an imbalance in your body. As a result, your ankles might collapse inward, and your feet may turn outwards to maintain balance, leading to a duck-footed posture.

Fixing flat feet can be a bit tricky but not impossible. Strengthening your arch muscles and wearing shoes with good arch support can relieve and potentially prevent a duck-footed posture.

In Summary: Addressing Duck Feet Posture

In conclusion, remember that posture correction is a journey, not a destination. Fixing duck feet and any other postural misalignments takes time, consistency, and patience.

Keep in mind the importance of proper form and safety while performing any exercises or stretches we discussed. Always listen to your body and stop if you feel any pain or discomfort. If needed, don’t hesitate to seek professional advice from a physical therapist or medical practitioner.

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