Putting your best foot forward is a good goal when it comes to excelling at work, and (it turns out) when you're taking steps to achieve healthy aging.

That's because feet that are strong and agile improve your balance and flexibility, and make it easier to walk, exercise — and dance. We're only kidding a little.

Dancing is important because it provides fun, you do it with a group of people (offering an emotional buffer against premature aging), and it keeps you on your toes. That's important because toe weakness is the biggest predictor of falls in the elderly.

But we bet you never thought of actually exercising your feet. Doing toe-strengthening exercises, along with exercises that use the small muscles throughout your feet, helps prevent shin splints and plantar fasciitis, and protects you from discomfort or injury to your ankles, knees, hips, and lower back.

After all, they're all affected by the alignment and strength of your feet and toes.

To keep your toes strong, try this exercise:

• Stand up, feet flat on the floor.

• Loop a resistance band around your big toe.

• Pull your toe up off the floor (not too hard), and hold it.

• Now try to lower your toe to the floor.

• Repeat 10 times; do two sets on each foot.

Then loop the band around your four other toes and do the same routine.