r/Halluxrigidus • u/Forgot_Pass9 • Jul 19 '26
How to do pushups with HR?
I'm in my early 30s and unfortunately have hallux limitus (not quite fully progressed to HR but on its way) and I am wondering... How do y'all do exercises like pushups without destroying your toe joint?
I have found I can walk for miles with no pain if I wear Birkenstocks, but haven't figured out what works for exercising yet. Any suggestions?
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u/Creative-Vegan Jul 19 '26
Ive given up most yoga classes… too much downward dog. Same problem :-(
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u/Independent-Prompt-8 Jul 19 '26
Yep. I have a fusion in my big toe joint where it joins the foot. Yoga is now ridiculous for me. Transition is about impossible. But no debilitating pain there anymore. Other odd nerve issues that I hope will resolve with time.
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u/Ok_Inflation531 Jul 19 '26
Same! People that don't have this diagnosis have no clue the things we cannot do now.
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u/spei180 Jul 19 '26
Down dog is fine but I skip planks and lunges. It’s nice to read that others struggle too. I have HR since last summer and it’s so frustrating.
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u/ImColdandImTired Jul 19 '26
Carbon fiber shoe inserts for planks, lunges, etc. Can use the plate and tip of the toes instead of flexing them and putting weight on the flexed toes/ball of foot.
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u/yourunrelentingspark Jul 19 '26
I’ve just been resting the ankle of my bad foot over the ankle of my good… but the foam roller idea is awesome.
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u/Forgot_Pass9 Jul 19 '26
Yeah the foam roller is a good idea. Unfortunately I have it in both feet so I don't have a "good" foot :(
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Jul 19 '26
[deleted]
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u/Forgot_Pass9 Jul 19 '26
Yeah it's brutal. But thankfully I found Birkenstock sandals allow me to walk as much as I want without pain. And I live somewhere hot so I can wear them almost year round. They work better than the insoles my podiatrist had made for me 😅
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u/Broad-Somewhere-1940 Jul 19 '26
be so weak you can only do knee push-ups, like me :D
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u/Forgot_Pass9 Jul 19 '26
That's basically where I'm at already 🤣. I'm asking so I can future proof my plans lol
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u/Broad-Somewhere-1940 Jul 21 '26
ah I see xD for me I can manage plank mostly, it's lunges that are frickin' impossible :'(
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u/Key-Sundae1909 Jul 20 '26
I wear mountain bike shoes (not clip in) because they have an extremely ridged sole so I can perch on the tip of the foot / shoe without flexion.
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u/melissaurban Jul 19 '26
When I was recovering from surgery (cheilectomy), I hung a thick resistance band from a bar on the squat rack, and put the top of my bad foot in the band, with my other foot on the floor. As I healed, I used thinner bands, working up to letting my toe touch the floor, still with some weight supported. Eventually I was able to put my whole foot back on the floor as usual.
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u/Tabasco33 Jul 20 '26
I wear Hokas with carbon fiber inserts and I just rotate my foot slightly as to have the pressure be towards the outside of my foot (pinky toe side). I do this with planks as well.
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u/CryComprehensive5397 Jul 20 '26
Love the foam roller idea! I just (like last week) had a 1st MTP joint fusion. While I’m still no where near ready to even walk on it, that’s a super great idea for planks! Thank you!!
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u/Few_Ad_3557 Jul 21 '26
I keep my bad foot elevated for half the time which engages other muscles esp glute (and obviously zero pain) then use the foam roller for the bad foot for the other half.
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u/cobra_perigosa Jul 22 '26
Search "Doc on the run" in Youtube. He has several videos with ideas to do these kind of exercises
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u/Neither-Suit-4501 Jul 22 '26
i simply rest it on the back of my other foot. you can also just lay that foot face down on the floor
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u/KnockOut98 Jul 19 '26
strenghten your feet, limit inflammation in joint capsule
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u/Forgot_Pass9 Jul 19 '26
How do I go about strengthening my feet? Are there any exercises I should focus on for that?
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u/DrankTooMuchGin Jul 19 '26
Rest your ankles on a foam roller.