Do you remember that childhood song “the hip bone is connected to the leg bone…”? Well, there is a lot of truth to it! If you are hips, hamstrings, or calves are tight/weak it can lead to tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, and other types of foot pain. Believe it or not, many of these issues can be prevented simply by stretching. Yoga is great for your feet. It loosens your muscles and tendons. And yes fellas, yoga would be great for you too!
Below are a couple of my favorite yoga moves to improve your flexibility.
Downward Dog
This well-known pose is great for your feet. This yoga move is a terrific stretch for your glutes, hamstrings, and calves. These muscles connect to the tendons in your feet, meaning that if you stretch them out, it can prevent future issues and injuries. If you are just starting out, try holding the pose for thirty seconds and you can gradually increase your time once you feel comfortable.
Plantar Fascia Stretch
This stretch is going to target your plantar fascia as well as the connecting calf muscle and Achilles tendon. To perform this stretch, start by sitting in a chair and propping your foot up on a flat surface (such as a chair, side table, etc.). Make sure to keep you knee straight to engage all of the muscles. Once you are in position, use your hand to pull your foot towards you. If you cannot reach your foot, you can use a belt or band to assist you.
If you are a visual person, check out my YouTube video for an explanation of these moves.
There are numerous exercises to improve flexibility, but the key is to be consistent. Even if you only do a couple of exercises, if you are consistent, you will increase your flexibility.
Be mindful that if you have a history of pain in the ball of your foot, yoga can cause a flare up. You can do modified yoga moves to prevent pain. You can also use a metatarsal cushion strap to add some padding to the ball of your foot, which will help prevent pain.
If you happen to flare up your ball of foot pain, we are here to help! You can call at span.tel1.textMainBold or schedule an appointment online and we will help you get back on your feet!