How to Correct Overpronation: 10 Exercises to Try

When your gait is off, your whole body can feel it. Our feet—and the dozens of muscles, ligaments, and bones that support them—do a lot of heavy lifting with every step we take. But when something like overpronation enters the picture, even simple movements can put us at risk for injury or nagging pain.

Overpronation happens when the arch and ankle roll too far inward while you walk, shifting your alignment and placing extra stress on your ankles, knees, and hips. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, about 21% of adults experience some form of overpronation, which can lead to conditions like plantar fasciitis, shin splints, and Achilles tendonitis over time.

The good news? There are small, effective ways to retrain your body toward better alignment. In this guide, we’ll show you how to correct overpronation with 10 simple overpronation exercises designed to build strength, improve mobility, and create a healthier stride from the ground up.

Understanding Overpronation

Overpronation might sound complicated, but here’s an easy way to spot it: take a look at the bottoms of your well-worn shoes. If you notice extra wear along the inner edges—especially near the heel or arch—your feet may be rolling inward more than they should when you walk.

That inward roll is known as overpronation, and while it’s common, it can throw your whole body out of alignment. From heel and arch pain to issues in your knees, hips, or even back, misalignment in your stride can cause a ripple effect of discomfort.

Thankfully, you’re not powerless. There are proven ways to help correct overpronation and get your body back in balance. From supportive footwear and orthotics to targeted exercises and physical therapy, small changes can lead to a stronger, more natural gait.

Want a deeper dive? Learn about the causes, symptoms, and long-term solutions for overpronation here.

Overpronation vs. Underpronation

If you’re wondering what sets overpronation apart from underpronation (also called supination), it all comes down to how your foot rolls as you walk or run.

• Overpronation happens when your foot rolls too far inward—more than 15%—which often accompanies fallen arches, low arches, or flat feet. It can increase the risk of conditions like runner’s knee or stress fractures.
• Underpronation (supination) is the opposite. Your foot rolls outward too much, usually linked to high arches or tight Achilles tendons. This pattern can lead to ankle instability or IT band syndrome.

Both patterns can strain the body, especially the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon, and may result in chronic pain or recurring injuries.

The upside is that no matter your pronation type, there are practical ways to improve alignment. With the right exercises for overpronation, you can begin retraining your gait, strengthening key muscles, and building a healthier foundation for every step.

Below, we’ll walk you through 10 straightforward exercises to help you get started.

10 Exercises to Correct Overpronation

Now that we’ve unpacked foot supination vs pronation and how each one is linked to foot and overall body health, let’s take a look at how to correct overpronation with exercise!

While we always recommend first speaking with your doctor for a unique diagnosis and treatment plan, here are 10 simple at-home exercises you can add to your routine to help you cultivate a healthier gait.

1. Heel Raises

Strengthens: Calves, ankles, and feet

Why it helps: Strong calves help stabilize the ankle and arch, reducing excess inward roll with each step.

How to do it:

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
• Slowly lift your heels off the ground, pressing through the balls of your feet.
• Hold at the top for 2–3 seconds.
• Lower your heels back down in a controlled motion.
• Repeat 10–15 times.

2. Arch Lifts

Strengthens: Arch muscles, especially the abductor hallucis

Why it helps: Strong arches support proper alignment and help reduce overpronation. A study published in PubMed found that strengthening the abductor hallucis can improve arch support and help prevent injury.

How to do it:

• Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground.
• Without lifting your toes or heels, try to raise the arch of your foot.
• Hold the arch lift for a few seconds, then relax.
• Repeat 10–15 times with each foot.

3. Towel Scrunches

Strengthens: Toes and arches

Why it helps: Towel scrunches target the small muscles in your feet, especially in the toes and arch. Stronger foot muscles provide better stability and support for healthy alignment and gait.

How to do it:

• Sit in a chair and place a small towel on the floor in front of you.
• Using only your toes, scrunch the towel toward you.
• Release and repeat 10–15 times with each foot.

4. Ankle Circles

Improves: Ankle mobility and range of motion

Why it helps: When joints move well, they support healthy mechanics. Increasing ankle flexibility can help prevent overpronation and support a more neutral gait.

How to do it:

• Sit or lie down with one leg extended in front of you.
• Rotate your ankle slowly in a circular motion—first clockwise, then counterclockwise.
• Perform for 30 seconds in each direction, then switch feet.

5. Toe Tapping

Improves: Shin strength, ankle stability, and coordination

Why it helps: The anterior tibialis (your main shin muscle) plays a key role in supporting the ankle and arch. Strengthening it can help prevent shin splints—a common issue for those with overpronation.

How to do it:

• Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
• Lift the toes of one foot and tap them lightly on the ground, keeping your heel planted.
• Continue for 30 seconds, then switch feet.

6. Band Resisted Ankle Inversion

Another arch and shin strengthener, banded resisted ankle inversions help to strengthen the deep intrinsic muscles of the arch to help stabilize the feet and correct overpronation.

This exercise uses a resistance band to strengthen the muscles responsible for foot inversion.

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended.
• Wrap a resistance band around your foot and hold the ends with your hands.
• Turn your foot inwards against the resistance of the band.
• Repeat 10–15 times on each foot.

7. Single Leg Balance

Proprioception is essentially a brain-body connection. It allows us to know and feel where our bodies are “in space” without looking at that part of our body. Exercises that help to increase proprioceptive awareness can improve our balance, stability, and confidence during activity—especially during one-legged movements.

Since even walking requires a small amount of single leg movement, training our balance in this way can help us remain well balanced and aligned.

This single leg balance exercise can help improve overall foot stability and proprioception.

• Stand on one foot, keeping the other foot off the ground.
• Hold this position for 30 seconds to a minute.
• Switch to the other foot and repeat.

8. Walking on Sand

Anytime we walk on an uneven surface, we naturally challenge and strengthen the muscles of the feet. Our muscles must continuously adapt to their changing foundation, which requires them to engage more than usual, improving strength over time.

Walking on sand can be a simple yet effective exercise to help build intrinsic foot strength, which is a way we know how to correct overpronation.

• Find a sandy area, like a beach or sandbox.
• Walk barefoot, focusing on maintaining a proper foot alignment.
• Do this for 10–15 minutes.

9. Calf Stretch

Tight calf muscles and Achilles tendons can contribute to overpronation. It’s crucial to consistently stretch the calves to maintain healthy calves, Achilles tendons, arches, and plantar fascia.

A simple calf stretch is a simple yet effective exercise you can seamlessly add to your daily routine.

• Stand facing a wall with your hands pressed against it.
• Step one foot back and press the heel into the ground.
• Hold for 20–30 seconds, then switch to the other foot.

10. Foam Rolling

Keeping our bodies’ fascia mobile can help prevent adhesions that can restrict movement and mobility. Healthy fascia is pliant and easily glides over our muscle fibers.

Foam rolling calves and legs can help release tight fascia and muscles and improve foot posture.

• Sit on the floor with a foam roller under your calf.
• Roll back and forth, applying pressure to any tight spots.
• Do this for 1–2 minutes on each leg.

Other Approaches to Correcting Overpronation

We’ve just looked at ways of how to correct overpronation running and walking through exercise. Let’s dive into several more ways to help encourage a healthy, more neutral walking pattern.

Supportive Shoes

Wearing supportive shoes with plenty of arch support, a deep heel cup, and shock-absorbing cushion can help correct overpronation and underpronation. While it may be tempting to only wear quality shoes for exercise, wearing supportive shoes throughout the day—and even at home—can help you maintain a healthy foot alignment and reduce painful symptoms of overpronation over time.

Physical Therapy

Seeing a physical therapist is a perfect step to correcting overpronation. A physical therapist will assess your specific condition and create an individualized exercise plan that matches your needs. A physical therapist may also prescribe the type of footwear that would be best for your unique foot and be a consistent touch point with you to help map your progress.

Ankle Braces

If overpronation is causing significant pain or you have an acute injury, ankle braces may be prescribed by your doctor or physical therapist. We recommend only using ankle braces if it is prescribed by a doctor, since they may reduce the work the muscles are doing, which can risk weakness in the long term.

Gait Analysis

For some overpronation or supination cases, it may be helpful to get a gait analysis from a qualified professional. They will analyze your walking pattern and notice any misaligned joints, muscle imbalances, and improper body mechanics so you can work toward a healthier stride.

Weight Management

A sudden increase in weight can lead to a flattening of the arch over time and an increased risk for overpronation. Keeping your weight in a healthy, consistent place in adulthood can help maintain healthy foot posture.

Regular Foot Check-ups

Our feet change as we age, vary our activity levels, and use different types of footwear. Getting consistent foot check-ups from a podiatrist can help ensure you have the most up-to-date care for your feet.

Embrace a Balanced Stride With KURU

Consistently wearing quality, supportive footwear is a fantastic method in how to correct overpronation. 

At KURU, we engineer pain-relieving footwear with ergonomic insoles, shock-absorbing cushion, and our patented KURUSOLE heel-hugging technology with a rounded heel-cup for Pain Relief Beyond Belief.

We want to help you Heel Better™ with men’s and women’s shoes that help relieve a wide variety of foot pain conditions. Whether you under or overpronate, at KURU you’ll find a selection of shoes for pronation and supination that can help remedy both.

Since every KURU comes with a built-in orthotic-like system, many customers even report they no longer need to use expensive orthotics after switching to KURU.

Wearing supportive, ergonomic shoes is a method in how to correct overpronation, so you can live the life you love.

Sourcing

• Modification of Pronated Foot Posture after a Program of Therapeutic Exercises. National Center for Biotechnology Information (November 2020)
• Influence of the abductor hallucis muscle on the medial arch of the foot: a kinematic and anatomical cadaver study. National Center for Biotechnology Information (May 2007)
• The Beginner’s Guide to Pronation. Healthline (March 2019)
• Exercises for Flat Feet. Healthline (April 2023)
• The Importance of Strengthening Your Tibialis Anterior for Optimal Athletic Performance. Rebound Fitness (January 2023)
• Supination vs. Pronation. Live Science (June 2022)

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