Take Care of Your Feet

For the past 6 or so years, I've chosen jobs where most of my day is spent on my feet and moving around. I wouldn't want it any other way.  Being on my feet all day I feel it. At the end of a long day my feet and hips are not happy. 

Feet are often the forgotten souls (pun intended) of our body. The ones who do the most work, with the least amount of credit. Until...they're screaming at you. 

You don't need plantar fasciitis or a broken toe as the only opportunity to start taking time to support your feet. Whether you're on your feet all day for work, or walking in heals, or long-distance running, providing self-care to your feet is just as important as any other part of you...if not more.

When do the same thing over and over again (this goes for anything), our body gets used to it. With this muscle memory, imbalances start to form from the feet all the way up the body (knees, hips, lower back, etc. - you get it.) In addition, your feet start to stiffen up after being in the same position for long periods, offering very little flexibility and becoming achy (or painful). 

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 As your grounding center, your feet are an important part of who we are. They are our connection to the earth, our (family) roots and  inner selves. So how do we take care of our soles that keep us connected and without pain? 

• Self-massage (myfascial release) with a tennis/lacrosse/golf ball. Roll on it in the morning or at the end of the day to help break up some of the fascial restrictions.
• Roll your ankles around. Sit anywhere, anytime, any place. Extend your leg out (or cross your leg over the other) and roll your ankle in one direction then the other.
• Spread those toes! Stand firmly on the balls and heals of your feet. Pick up your toes and slowly separate your toes from each other as you lay them back onto the ground one. at. a. time.
• Lift up to the balls of your feet, standing tall with strong core balance. Hold while taking long deep inhales and exhales. It's ok to fall out of it, just try it again until you can hold for longer periods.
• Try the "Yogi Toe Squat." This is an intension pose. Give it a go  for 30 seconds and slowly work your way up to 3 minutes (over weeks/months). I do this daily.
• Similarly to the toe squat position, place tops of the feet flat on the earth and sit back on your heals. This will feel a little less intense than the toe squat.
• Walk barefoot in sand and/or uneven ground/earth - you'll get muscles working that were once forgotten due to flat surface walking. Those "newly" discovered muscles offer a lot of support and will release some of the tension in the formally over-worked muscles. This creates more stability and balance in your feet and posture.
• Last but not least, buy quality supportive shoes. They tend to run pricey but check out ebay for less expensive options for Clarks, Dansko, Ecco, Naot, etc. Once I started wearing more supportive shoes, I noticed a huge difference in my feet and hips. 

Do you  have any feet exercises, stretching, strengthening or self massage moves you'd like to share? Post in the comments - I'd love to learn more!