The foot has been an object of beauty and sensuality from ancient China to today’s foot massage and pedicure. There are many reasons beyond appearance to keep the foot supple, not the least of that is to enable mobility. In yoga, the feet are the connection to the earth; they ground the body. Aligning the body and weight to balance upright is a daily unconscious challenge.
Foot Stretches to Practice at Home
The 26 bones, 31 joints, and over 100 ligaments of the foot work together for support. The following are some simple practices borrowed from yoga to help build and maintain strong flexible feet.
Begin sitting on knees with feet tucked under buttocks on a yoga mat or rug as in modified mountain. (photo 3) Rock gently back and forth with back straight and hands on ground supporting the self. Feel the ground pressing into the dorsum (back) of the foot as knees lift slightly off the ground. Exhale back to start position and repeat.
Stand with feet parallel and rise up onto toes, supporting the body for balance by holding onto a chair or rail. Now return to start position and rock back onto heels, lifting all ten toes off the floor. Feel the stretch all the way up the calf muscle through the Achilles tendon. Hold the abdomen in, breathing fluidly. Alterations of this include keeping the heels off a step while holding in place with the front of the foot and a handrail or chair. Press through the foot down into the heel. Lift back up to the toes and repeat (photo 5).
Practice picking up a fat pen or foam cylinder with toes. Try this sitting and standing. Eventual goal is maintaining standing balance with minimum support to bring the object to the same side hand as foot
Sit with one leg crossed over the other. Use the same hand as foot and press from underneath the toes (not the ball of the foot) up toward the body. Do each toe individually.
Additional Foot Exercise Practice for Healthy Feet
Use the hands to stretch the foot or purchase or make toe dividers. Work on the toes in the following practices.
- Cradle the leg in the arms like a baby while seated. Press laterally on the foot in toward the chest.
- Roll a foot back and forth over a filled plastic water bottle as a foot massage.
- Lift and separate the toes using a pedicure toe separator to stretch toes apart. Let toes remain in the device for 20 to 30 minutes every other day. Yoga Toes is a firmer commercial reproduction of this.
- Elevate feet over the head by placing buttocks against a wall with the legs resting up against that wall. Allow the blood to flow passively away from the feet to refresh circulation when upright again.
- While sitting on a chair, lift the feet onto the balls of the foot rolling further to the tips of the toes. Five times each day while sitting will stretch through the ball of the foot and allow the foot in a new position working through the toe joints.
Conclusion
Walking barefoot around the house is an exercise in itself. Different movements allow the walker to be mindful of the toes, the ball of the foot, the arch, and the sides of the feet, the heel and the ankle. An improperly balanced or functioning foot can lead to back pain, neck pain, headaches and fatigue.
