Toe-tal control.

Running a race. Balancing on one foot. Climbing a hill. These activities are made easier thanks to ten little helpers--your toes! How do these digits work? Let's find out.

Twenty-six bones form the flexible, arched structure you call a foot. More than half of these bones, or phalanges (fah-LANJ-ees), are in your toes. These bones are held together by strong bands of tissue called ligaments (LIG-ah-ments).

Your toes help you balance, grip, and push off a surface as you walk or run.

When you stop and think about it, walking is really a controlled fall. As you lean forward, your toes feel the pressure. Your body reacts by putting one leg forward to prevent you from falling. When you repeat this movement with both legs, you're walking. Speed it up, and you're running.

Each time you step, the bones of your feet spread slightly apart. The arch on the inside of your foot flattens. This places your body weight over your whole foot. When you lift your foot, the bones move closer, causing the arch to pop into place.

Because your foot's bones are so flexible, you can walk on uneven surfaces. Your toes grip the surface and push your body weight so that you don't lose your balance. Try not to move your toes when you walk over a bumpy surface, and you'll find out how much work your toes actually do!

When you run, your toes help balance and grip the running surface. As your toes bend, they dig into the surface and then spring back, giving you a strong push with every stride.

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Horses have four feet7 but each "foot" is really one strong toe surrounded by a tough, curved hoof. Only the tip of the toe ever touches the ground. How fast do you think you could run on only the tip of your big toe?