Foot Notes
Summer is a good time to give your hardworking feet some extra love. If you’re outdoors doing vigorous activities, your feet may start to ache. Like the rest of your body, the joints of your feet need to be supported by strong, flexible muscles. "Vet they are often overlooked.”Feet have a big job; it’s really important that we take care of them," you must give your feet just as much attention as you give your hips and back.
When doing yoga, consciously stretch and engage your feet. Imagine them as "little cars with four wheels," Yoga can help you develop balanced alignment in your feet, which can pay off with better alignment throughout your body. It can also prevent and heal foot problems such as plantar fasciitis, bunions, and shin splints. Press firmly into each of the wheels: the base of the big toe, the base of the fifth toe, and the middle of the inner and outer heels.
In addition to yoga, try the following exercises to stretch and heal your feet:
Weaving helps relieve symptoms of bunions. Weave the fingers of one hand between each of the toes of your opposite foot. With a firm grip, stretch and massage the toes and the ball of the foot, encouraging mobility and opening space between the toes.
Towel Scrunches strengthens arches, eases plantar fasciitis. Sit with your feet flat on the ground, knees bent at 90 degrees, with a towel spread under your feet. Scrunch your toes to grab bits of the towel and pull it toward you, inch by inch, so it bunches into your arches.
Palm tree strengthens ankles and calves. Stand in Mountain Pose, lightly touching a wall with your hands for balance. Inhaling, lift your heels as high as possible; exhaling, bring them back to earth. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Squeeze and flex good for restoring flexibility, relieving bunions and ham¬mertoes. Sitting in a chair, rest your heels on the floor. Inhale and flex your toes so there is space between all of them.
Exhaling, squeeze your toes in to form a toe fist. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
Feet are one of the hardest working parts of our body and if our feet are not fine we cannot stand, walk and run. Although, we need to take care of our feet, so always take care of your feet.
I cured plantar fasciitis with a raw food diet, and now I'm going to cure my bunyon with Yoga Toes from Gaiam.
ReplyDeleteAfter my surgery, I have a whole new appreciation for yoga and the ability to stretch and breathe and touch my hands to the floor--a lot of things I took for granted.