Regardless of your sport, ankle pain and foot problems are one of the quickest ways to end up on the sidelines

Have you ever experienced a sprained ankle, or other foot injury?  Do you know that because of a previous injury, the chances of re-injury are much higher?  All that limping around while things hurt can create muscle imbalances that may not get addressed during your recovery.  A little extra emphasis on foot care can go a long way to keeping you in the game and participating in the sports and activities you love.

This is a re-post of an article I wrote a while back with ankle exercise tips to avoid injury.  Always nice to have a reminder & refresher on things to do to keep your feet fit!   Help keep your feet and ankles in tip-top training condition with these excellent ankle strengthening exercises.

Yamuna foot savers are one of the most fabulous foot care products ever invented!

I take mine with me when I travel.  They are easy to use anywhere, and take up almost no space to pack.  After a long run or workout, or when I’ve had to wear dress shoes all day, my Foot Savers help release the tension and achy muscles under the sole of my feet.

After having sever foot-pain problems as a teenager, I am now happily running ½ marathons with zero foot pain or foot injuries, thanks to my Foot Savers, and other Fantastic Feet exercises I practice to help keep my feet healthy.

Yes, you can use a tennis ball, or other small ball to roll along the sole of your feet, but it’s not the same!  A rolling massage is wonderful & feels great, but there is something different about standing still on a pair of Foot Savers that helps release tight muscles and fascia in a different, more passive way that will give you lasting results.

If you’ve never used a pair of Foot Savers, be prepared for some surprising tender spots along the bottom of your feet!  Breathe deeply, and if needed start with 1 foot at a time and progress to standing on both Foot Savers at the same time.  If the bottoms of your feet hurt a little while you’re standing on your Foot  Savers – you need to be using them more regularly.  Ideally, your feet should be comfortably and able to relax around the dome for an efficient & effective stretch with the help of gravity and your tall body posture oozing the arches around the domes.

This is one product I highly recommend.  If you are an athlete, runner, triathlete, walker, dancer, or anyone who’s on their feet all day.  A pair of Yamuna Foot Savers is a great investment to help you take better care of your feet, and improve your whole-body health.

See how easy it is to use a pair of Yamuna Foot Savers with this video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you’re inspired to get yourself a pair, you’ll find Foot Savers in the Foot Care Product section at Centerworks.com   If you have friends with foot pain, (or healthy feet & you’d like to keep them that way…)  Please share this great resource.

Let’s all enjoy  walking, jumping, running, and dancing with healthy, happy feet!

How flexible is your Foot?  Do your toes bend easily in each direction?  Can you stand or kneel and tuck your toes way under to be securely balanced on the balls of your feet?  How far do your toes bend the other direction to point, like a ballerina in a toe shoe?  Do you run or walk and have stiff ankles and tight muscles in your feet & toes?  Do your feet cramp up a lot and leave you hopping around with calf cramps or foot pain?  Do you have Hammer Toes that fold and buckle from the middle of the toe joints rather than bending from where the toes meet the foot?  Do you EVER take even 5 minutes to do foot-care exercises before or after your workouts to help improve your foot fitness? 

This simple and easy toe stretch can get you started on improving all of the things listed above, plus help you with balance, speed, and better body posture.  Enjoy the benefits of reduced risk of injury and pain-free feet with this simple and easy toe stretch from the book Fantastic Feet!

Did you know that bending the toes down from the knuckles (where the toes meet the foot) helps to stretch the tighter muscles along the top of the foot, and strengthen the weaker arch muscles under the sole of the foot.

To do this stretch and get maximum benefits – use your hands to help manipulate your feet for a great toe stretch.

Find The Knuckles – Foot & Toe Stretch

• Place your fingers under the sole of the foot and your thumbs on top of the toes.
• Pull back and down under the ball of the foot, and lengthen the toes out away from the foot while using the thumbs to bend the toes finding the knuckles for a stretch.
• Lift up underneath the foot a little more under any of the knuckles that are not “popping up.”
• Hold for at least 3-5 breaths, then release.
• Repeat this stretch on each foot at least 3 times.

You should easily be able to see all five of the knuckles of your feet ( just like you’d see the knuckles on your hand when you make a fist.)

Check out this video to see how more about how to do  this easy foot-fitness exercise.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Stretch your toes, lift your arches, and improve your foot health in a couple of quick minutes of foot-care a day!

To learn more easy foot fitness exercises and get great fitness products for your feet, visit Centerworks for foot care products to keep your feet healthy & strong.

Here is a very simple (but sometimes tricky) foot fitness exercise to improve foot and ankle alignment.  This seated heel lift foot-care exercise can increase ankle strength, and help you gain body awareness about what your feet, ankles, and legs are doing as you rise on your toes, and lower your heels.

Did You Know…?

• What the foot and ankle are doing when you rise up and lower your heels plays an important part in how well you can maintain balance and body control.
• Rolling your ankles in our out when rising up on your toes can affect your risk for spraining an ankle or torking a knee.
• Keeping the leg from the hip to the knee, knee to the ankle, toes to the heel,  in optimal alignment will strengthen the whole leg from the hip to the sole of the foot.

Develop Stronger Legs, Improve Balance & Body Control,
and Improve your Arch Support!

This correct foot action to lift & lower your heels is practiced during Pilates on the Reformer during many different exercises: Footwork #4, Stomach Massage Round, Stomach Massage Hands Back, Running – just to name a few.  It’s much easier to pay attention to your feet when you’re not having to also think about your balance!  Pilates Reformer, Chair, and Cadillac exercises take balance out of the equation to help you work on this important foot and ankle strengthening skill.

The valuable aspects of good core support (abs, pelvic floor, inner thighs, outer thighs, high hamstrings & glutes) are all required to maintain good posture and safe leg alignment while you are training your feet and ankles to work appropriately as you lift & lower the heels.  You can’t just pay attention to your feet!  You have to pay attention to the WHOLE body, while you’re working your feet!

When Do We Use This Foot and Leg Action of Lifting & Lowering our Heels?

• To rise on our tippy toes and get something off a high shelf.
• Walking – with every step you take a step, there’s a moment when you roll through your foot.
• When you run, to propel yourself forward you have to push through the foot.
• To jump, hop, or skip you have to push off through the leg, ankle, and toes.
• Climbing stairs….to lift up to the next step you should be rising on your toes.

…And I’m sure if you took a moment to think about other activities and exercises you do throughout the day, you’d begin to see how often you need this important this foot and ankle action for health, fitness, and daily life activities.

Why is standing up to work on lifting & lowering your heels more of a challenge?

A)     You’re full weight bearing.

B)      Balance becomes an issue

To make things easier, I like to start in a seated position to practice lifting & lowering the heels.  Sitting in a chair will be easier, seated on a lower box or on the floor can be a different type of challenge.  If you can sit in front of a mirror to watch your feet and ankles stay in good alignment throughout the exercise – that would be optimal.

Here’s a short video for you to watch the Seated Heel Lift Exercise, to see what to look for while you’re practicing this simple foot care exercise at home.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Foot Fitness Exercise:  Seated Heel Lifts

• Sit with tall posture, back lifting abs in.
• Feet parallel with the toes facing straight ahead.
• Legs can either be hip width apart, or zipped together

Breathing :

• Inhale to lift the heels – rising up on the toes
• Exhale to pull the abs in, maintain tall posture, and with control lower the heels to the floor.

What to watch for:

• Be sure the heels stay hidden behind the ball of the foot throughout the exercise.
• Be sure the ankles do not wobble, or roll in or out.
• If you tend to be hyper-mobile only rise up ¾ to your full lift, so the muscles of your feet will have to work to control the movement the entire time.
• If you have stiff, tight ankles – work to lift the heels as high as possible, then lower.
• For most people – the weight should be across your Big Toe, 2^nd and 3^rd  toes (there will be little if any weight on your 4^th or 5^th toe – if there is weight on your little toe – chances are your ankles are rolled outward.)
• Inner thighs squeezing help to keep the weight over the Big Toe so the ankle can maintain good alignment while the heels lift & lower.

Can you do this Seated Heel Lift exercise easily?  If yes, than take it to a standing position.  Hang on to something for balance, and progress to standing on your own two legs without holding on to anything!  For even more of a challenge – Can you do your heel lifts & lowers standing on one leg?

Don’t worry if you’re not able to do this heel lift exercise standing yet!  It’s something to progress to over time…  Best to start seated and really get confident with what it feels like to maintain good support along with proper leg, ankle, and foot alignment!  If you’re ankles are really wobbly seated, or it’s a challenge to keep your heels hidden behind your feet…Stick with the seated version for awhile until it’s easy.  Or do 10-15 reps seated to be sure things are working right first, then try it standing and see how it goes.

Love to hear what you think about this exercise…

Happy Heel Lifts!

Check Out the Running Shoe Tying Tips in this Video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I can see the benefit of all three tying techniques explained in this video.

My preference is the third one discussed.  I have been encouraging clients and participants in my Fantastic Feet workshops to lace their shoes for better foot support for years.  By leaving a space for the knobby Navicular bone on the top of the foot when you tie your shoes, the arch muscles will stay active and lifted.  If there is any pressure on this knobby bone on the top of the foot when you tie your shoes, it automatically cues the muscles of the arch to relax!  Yikes…not the correct action for the foot muscles to support the body!  Pressure on the Navicular bone (which is usually where shoe companies put the loop on the tongue for you to lace through) flattens the arch and decreases available support to hold the bones of the foot in correct alignment. 

If the foot muscles aren’t working properly to support the body….then there’s a good chance that every joint above may also be out of place.  Foot pain, knee pain, hip pain, back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain…overall poor posture habits, and an increased risk of injury might all be created or aggravated by how you’re lacing your shoes!

Have you been tying your shoes in a way that helps to support your feet?  If you’re interested a few more details about my preferred shoe tying technique, click here for a copy of my free instruction guide: How To Tie Your Tennies for Healthy & Happy Feet!

Step #1 for Improved Foot Care

• Tie your shoes in a way that keeps your arches lifted for more support.

Step #2 for Healthy Feet

• Incorporate specific foot fitness exercises  into your weekly workout routine to stretch and strengthen your feet .

Regardless of how old you are, what shape your feet are currently in, how flat or high your arches are – there are lots of quick and easy exercises you can do to keep your feet healthy and pain free.  Get a copy of the book  Fantastic Feet! Exercises to Strengthen the Ankles, Arches, and Toes for a resource guide filled with exercises to help keep your feet fit!

Are You Up for a Challenge?

Change how you’re tying your shoes to improve arch support.  Re-lace one shoe and put the pair on.  Can you see or feel a difference between your feet?  Now re-lace the other shoe so your feet can be even and well-balanced before you go out for a walk or a run.  If you can seriously feel the difference, please pass this post along, and share this info with a friend, or friends!  Lets help more people  enjoy the benefits of improved arch support.

I’d love to hear from you! 

Drop me a comment and let me know what you think about this helpful shoe tying tip for lifted arches and healthy feet.

Have you ever sprained your ankle?  Did it turn into a nagging chronic injury?

I recently came across a synopsis of a study that was published in the June online edition of the AJSM (American Journal of Sports Medicine) that shows a correlation between ankle alignment and ankle sprains.    Ankle sprains are the most common sports-related injury, and many people develop chronic instability and repetitive ankle injuries.

Now they’re planning to do research to determine if targeted interventions can influence how people walk and run, and perhaps even treat or prevent ankle sprains.

From my own experience, I have to say that improving foot and ankle strength, flexibility, and mobility can definitely make a huge difference in helping to keep the feet and ankles injury-free.  I have seen many Pilates clients over the years who have completely changed their gait and improved the alignment of their ankles.  In high school was sidelined from my sport due to ankle pain.  It hurt to walk as a teenager, and I thought as an adult I’d probably be in a wheelchair!  But thanks to some great foot and ankle exercises that I have continued to do throughout my lifetime – I’m happy to say my feet and ankles are healthier than ever – and running my first 1/2 marathon in May is proof that my continuing efforts to take care of my feet and ankles are paying off.

As with any injury, there are muscle memory patterns established in our system.  We might limp around on a sore ankle for a couple of weeks, and that limping muscle pattern gets ingrained in our muscle memory.  We are reinforcing the limping pattern with every step we take.  At some point the ankle feels better and we start to walk more nomally, but the limping muscle pattern is still in our system – Unless we do enough re-strengthening, and re-balancing to remove that muscle imbalance from our body.  This is one of the reasons why it’s so much easier to injure something again and again, and chronic ankle problems can develop.  But limping on a sore ankle doesn’t just affect the feet! Whole-body posture and the alignment of everything from the feet up and is affected and changed by a foot or ankle injury.

The likelihood of repetitive injury doesn’t just apply to the ankles.  Any part of the body that suffers pain and injury has the potential to develop chronic instability and be plagued with repetitive injury.  I love Pilates because the work helps to identify your strengths, weaknesses, and muscle imbalances and then a good teacher can help create a Pilates program to re-balance the body for optimal wellness and whole-body health.

If you’re a runner or walker and are interested in being pro-active to take care of your ankles and feet, there are lots of wonderful things you can do to help maintain the strength and flexibility of your feet.  Two of my favorite foot fitness products are the Centerworks Super-Ankles Foot Fitness Board, and Yamuna Foot Savers.

The Foot Fitness Board is a superior way to strengthen the ankle for medial / lateral movement which is key for reducing the risk of an ankle sprain!  And there are other great exercises on this ankle board that can help train the foot and ankle for better motion for improved gait.  This is a great tool to use before and/or after a walk or run to keep your ankles strong and flexible so if you happen to step off a curb funny, or land in a pothole, you won’t suffer the pain of an ankle sprain (or worse!)

The Yamuna Foot Savers are excellent for helping reduce the risk of Plantar Fasciitis – another very common foot problem for runners and walkers.  If you experience pain, or extreme tightness along the sole of your foot, the Yamuna Foot Savers help to release the unnecessary tension in the muscles and fascia on the bottom of the feet.  My Foot Savers travel with me everywhere, and are also lovely end of the day treat for gals who spend lots of time wearing high-heeled shoes!

In addition to these two easy to use foot-care products, there are lots of simple foot stretching and strengthening exercises you can incorporate into your training program to help keep your feet and ankles healthy.  Most people don’t realize that even a short 3-5 minutes of focused foot fitness exercises can make a huge impact on helping you avoid foot pain and foot injuries. 

• If you are interested in cross-training with Pilates, there are many wonderful exercises to work/stretch the legs, feet, and ankles on the Reformer, Cadillac, and Chairs, and it can be helpful to have the expert eye of a well-trained Pilates Teacher help tweak your body alignment, and find the right muscles to get the most from your workouts.  Everything you learn about using your body correctly with Pilates should, in time, transfer back to walking, running, and every other activity you do.
• If you’re looking for some quick and easy exercises to do at home before or after a walk or run, grab a copy of Fantastic Feet!  Exercises to Strengthen the Ankles, Arches, and Toes.  This book is filled with lots of great foot-care exercises that you can easily do on your own.

Have you ever suffered an ankle sprain?  Did it turn into a chronic foot problem?  What tips do you have to help improve the strength, flexibility, and mobility of your ankles and feet?  Here’s a link to the article that started my thoughts for this post about improving the health of your feet and ankles: Foot positioning during walking and running may influence ankle sprains.

Our feet are the most used, least cared for part of the body.  I encourage you to take a little time before and/or after your workout, walk, or run to specifically treat your feet, ankles, and toes to some stretching and strengthening exercises.  Be proactive to help maintain great alignment, keep things moving properly, and ensure that you can avoid chronic ankle injuries and enjoy pain-free feet!

Here’s the Question:

“Aliesa, your posts are very informative and caught my interest! I saw an article recently about not using orthotics long term for running. I pronate and my arches are falling.  Do you have recommendations for stretching or strengthening the feet so I don’t need to rely on orthotics while running?   Thanks!”

My Response: 

Thanks for your compliment, and questions!  Whether you’re running with orthotics or without – ideally your foot and leg alignment should be correct for proper muscle use. As a Pilates Teacher and functional movement specialist – I am a fan of using the Pilates Method to help correct muscle use, posture, and body alignment. The exercises on the Reformer, Cadillac, and Chairs can really help strengthen your feet, legs, and whole-body!

Some of the problem for Pronation and flat arches can come from muscle weakness/imbalance in the feet, and the other 1/2 of the equation is the strength & mechanics at your hips (inner/outer thighs, Glutes, Hamstrings) and into your pelvic floor and core.

Pelvic floor strength, & core, helps to lift your pelvis off your legs for a freer stride. And proper breathing habits helps to lift your ribs & torso away from your pelvis.  This keeps you from having all your upper body weight jammed down on your legs.

A part of maintaining a “lifted arch” is the work done at the Glutes & upper thigh.  Typically if you supinate your inner thighs are not working enough, and if you pronate, your outer thighs aren’t supporting enough.  There’s a balance here to help lift your leg bones up off your ankles!

I see a lot of clients with stuck ankles, and poor foot mechanics.  If your body weight has been jammed down on those poor little 52 bones of your feet, your stride is has probably been shortened, and your toe and foot muscles aren’t working efficiently to roll through the foot and push off the toes.  So the arches aren’t functioning as the efficient lever to propel us forward that they were designed to be.

Everyone has different things to recommend and things to do that can work to help with these issues. I use Pilates for tackling the breathing, posture awareness, and strength/flexibility needed for better core support and hip/leg mechanics.  Working against the springs on the Pilates equipment is so helpful for getting better balance with the leg strengthening that needs to change.

For the Feet…

I recommend the exercises in my book “Fantastic Feet! Exercises to Strengthen the Ankles, Arches, and Toes” In particular, I would start with the Terrific Toe Series as the lateral toe strengthening exercises will begin to strengthen & lift the arches. Lots of choices for easy at-home foot fitness exercises in this book.  I encourage folks to start with the non-weight bearing ones so you can change your habits and improve alignment first – then transfer that back to standing, walking, and running.

There are at least two other things I would recommend:

1.  The Centerworks® Super-Ankles Foot Fitness Board. There are lots of exercises you can do on this, but the primary one is for medial/lateral ankle movement.  When we run, the ankle mainly moves forward and back (point & flex)  the side to side motion is minimal (unless you’re on uneven terrain, or fall off a curb!)  Keeping your body lifted, knee and thigh held straight ahead, and using this Ankle Board to move your foot side to side will help you find better balance for proper ankle alignment & less Supination/Pronation.  This Ankle Board is different than the other “wobble boards” on the market – as the height is designed for you to actually MOVE your ankle in a good range of motion to strengthen medial/lateral support. Generally on a wobble-board, you are standing and working on balance, so the foot & ankle grip the board and range of motion at the ankle is minimal (it’s not appropriate –or safe, to actually move your ankle much on a traditional wobble-board.) On the Centerworks® Super-Ankles Foot Fitness Board, the goal is not to improve balance, but to increase side-to-side ankle strength & mobility, so that you can learn where proper alignment is for a  “centered” ankle – which decreases Supination/Pronation issues, and IF you step sideways off a curb, or start to twist your ankle running on uneven ground – the medial/lateral ankle strength you have from using your Ankle Board will help you pull yourself back to center and avoid a potential injury.

2.  Everyone, but especially if you run, should be using a pair of Yamuna Foot Savers. They’re kind of like that miserable IT band stretch with a foam roller, but for your feet!  If they hurt, you need them – as using Foot Savers shouldn’t hurt at all!  These can help release some of the tight muscles & fascia under the arches, and passively help improve joint space through the foot.  Fantastic Feet exercises will be active strength & flexibility work.  Foot Savers will be more passive.  So it’s a nice combination.

More Foot Fitness Exercises, Pilates, and Foot-Care Tips:

I’ve posted quite a few foot fitness exercise videos on my blog & YouTube channel.  These, along with the book can help give you extra tips for doing the exercises correctly for maximum benefit.

• Centerworks BLOG -  http://www.centerworks.com/blog/category/foot-care-tips/
• Centerworks YouTube Channel -  http://www.youtube.com/centerworks

The Fantastic Feet book, Ankle Board, and Foot Savers are all available on my website, along with a few other foot-fitness products.

Check it out at: http://www.centerworks.com/store/category/foot-care-products/

You may still choose to wear your orthotics.  I see orthotics as an outside support to lift the arch, but we should have muscles working in our body that help to support us. If we’re using our feet correctly and supporting whole-body posture as our muscles were designed, an orthotic is unnecessary. Also, our feet change – so if you’re wearing orthotics, they should be able to be adjusted , otherwise you’ve created a really expensive crutch – and will need to get new ones as your body changes, or you may be wearing them and discover that your orthotics are actually throwing your body out of balance!

When I was in high school & college I had completely flat feet (and pretty bad ankle problems along with a very unstable lower back!) I now have a real foot-print which shows me that my arches are lifted, I’m using my muscles more correctly, and am better supporting my body posture.  I’m a firm believer that if we’re still breathing, it’s not too late to  change and improve things for better whole-body health! P.S.  I have worn orthotics for more than 20 years, and still do have them in my shoes when I run… but I do lots of other barefoot foot exercises to stretch & strengthen my feet. Taking care of your whole-body will help with injury prevention so you can run to your heart’s content!  It’s important to listen to your body and pay attention to your feet! Improve your strength, flexibility, and body alignment, consult with your health care provider or podiatrist that prescribed your shoe inserts, then you can decide if running with or without orthotics is best for you!

Hope this gets you headed in a good direction for tweaking your technique and establishing a foot fitness exercise program for better alignment to support your running.  Regardless of whether you run with or without orthotics, taking   a quick 10-15 minutes 2-3 days a week to do some specific foot care exercises should  help you run farther, faster, and with less risk of injury!

Any other questions, let me know!  Happy Running!

One of my clients brought me a copy of an article written by Rachel Saslow for the Washington Post, that was recently re-published in the Wichita Eagle newspaper about Flip-flops.  I’m so happy to see more things being written about foot Heath, foot-care, and foot fitness!  We take our feet for granted until there’s a problem – and even then, we still have to get around – so foot pain and injuries are often ignored, which can lead to even bigger problems.

I have been sharing the hazards of flip-flops for years with my clients, in my foot-fitness clinics, and Fantastic Feet workshops.  My motto is, “train right with the right shoes-always!” I encourage people to throw their flip-flops away (and all other strapless shoes!) because all these poor shoe choices are doing is reinforcing incorrect muscle habits for your feet.  Barefoot is better than bad shoes!

If you have to wear flip-flops here are the three places they might be briefly appropriate:

1. In the shower at the gym
2. To get across hot pavement from a deck chair to the pool
3. To drive home from a pedicure

But… If you were wearing a sandal that was tied onto your foot and ankle instead of a flip-flop, it would be a much better choice.

The other thing I think a lot of people don’t realize is how much can be done to improve foot fitness, posture, and body alignment with simple foot care exercises. If you have flat feet, they will get worse wearing flip-flops.  If you had a good lifted arch, but flip-flops are your primary shoe choice, expect to see your arches drop in time with knee, hip, and back problems to follow…  You can change habits with better exercise choices, but all the exercises in the world won’t make much of a dent, if you don’t change your shoe choices too.

It makes me extremely sad to see aisles filled floor to ceiling with Flip-flops at the mall.   Is anybody else out there concerned about our children?  The ONLY thing I see on most kids feet is a dang flip-flop! Come on parents – take care of your kids and make them wear something better so they can grow up with good health!  There is no reason for the shoe companies and foot-care specialists to get richer treating completely avoidable problems – if your feet are strong, fit, flexible, AND you’re not wearing flip-flops!

Here’s a link to Flip-Flops Forever, the article that was recently published in the Wichita Eagle.  I hope that some of this info will make you think twice before slipping into a pair of flip-flops or strapless shoes.  Remember, “train right, with the right shoes, always!”  And if you happen to be looking for exercises to help undo the damage to your flip-flopped feet, check out my book Fantastic Feet! Exercises to Strengthen the Ankles, Arches, and Toes, and the other foot fitness products I think are great to help improve your health from the ground up.  You’ll find all these foot care resources in the Centerworks store.

We only have one pair of feet!  Treat them right for a lifetime of good health!  Flip-Flop wearers, beware!

Click here to view the embedded video.

For lots of other great foot fitness exercises, check out my book Fantastic Feet! Exercises to Strengthen the Ankles, Arches, and Toes. Click here to  get your copy of Fantastic Feet! and discover other helpful foot fitness resources from Centerworks.com.

At the end of a good walk, run, or workout, or after a long day at work, do you ever experience tired, sore or achy feet and arches? Being able to prop your feet up and take a break helps, but how often do you take the time to treat your feet with a relaxing foot massage?  I know, it might be a challenge to find somebody to give you a foot massage, and paying for a foot massage daily would be great, but probably isn’t very practical for the average budget.  So here’s the secret…

You Can Get a Great Do-It-Yourself Foot Massage with a Mini-Massage Ball.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The ball I’m using came out of my Centerworks Foot Fitness Kit.   Or any size ball will work.  I’d encourage you to experiment with different sizes, textures, and densities to see what your feet enjoy the most.

• A smaller, firmer ball, like the one I’m using, can dig in a little deeper to pinpoint tight muscles for relief.
• If you’re using a softer, or larger ball, your massage will be a little gentler or less intense.
• Regardless of the ball you use, you can get  great benefits from this exercise to help your feet feel better.

How To Use Your Mini-Massage Ball for Foot Pain Relief

• Take your shoes off, socks on or off is optional.
• Find something you can hang onto for balance if needed.
• Place your mini-massage ball under the sole of one foot.
• Put as much weight on that leg as you can comfortably tolerate and begin to roll the ball around under your foot.

For a Lateral Arch Massage: Roll the ball along the bottom of your foot from the heel to the toes, go from the heel to the big toe and back to the heel, then heel to the 2^nd toe and back, continue rolling the ball lengthwise through each toe.

For a Medial Arch Massage: Work the ball side to side across the heel, through the arch, and under the toes.  Take your time and be sure to continue breathing throughout your foot massage!

Pinpoint Tender Spots on the Soles of the Feet: Now do little circles through the arch.   Circle one way, then reverse directions.  Pay attention to the spots where you feel extra tension or tenderness and gently spend a little more time massaging those areas with the ball.

Once you feel like that foot has had enough, step off your ball and feel the difference between your feet.  You should be able to tell which foot you just massaged and the other one is probably saying, “MY Turn, My Turn!!!”  So be sure you give them both equal time for a well-balanced treat!

A Few More Tips For Using Your Mini-Massage Ball for Foot Care

Using your mini-massage ball is another really easy foot-care exercise that you can do almost anywhere! It will be deeper and more intense the more of your body weight you put on the ball.  So standing for your foot massage will give you a deeper massage, sitting will make it a little easier. When you’re seated you won’t have to worry about balance, and there will be less body weight on your foot during the massage.  Play with this standing and seated to see what works best for you and your feet!

Enjoy taking care of yourself and your feet with this mini-massage ball foot care exercise!  Take a couple of minutes daily, or at least once or twice a week to massage your feet, and it will help relax the muscle of your arches to keep your feet healthy, fit, and pain-free.

Look forward to seeing you again soon for another Fantastic Feet exercise tip!   Have a Great Day!