Do you suffer from foot pain?
Self care is hard. We are all guilty of putting ourselves last and when we have foot pain we often neglect dealing with it even though it causes us lack of sleep, pain, and restricted movement which can cause us anxiousness, slow down our recovery, and make us less productive.
We use our feet continuously through the day: they take us everywhere and if our foot alignment is not correct our ankles will suffer and become weaker. Over time this weakness will travel up the body to the knees and indeed the hips.
The first exercises on the Reformer are the footwork exercises. They help you strengthen the ankle joint. The reformer footwork with it's four foot positions, the balls of the feet, arches, heels and tendon stretch, tackles alignment, strength, flexibility, circulation, balance and proprioception.
Joseph Pilates studied and used Eastern and Western philosophies in developing his system.The footwork series massages the feet and accesses the acupressure points.
This can provide you with a lovely foot and internal massage. If you have foot problems, the exercises may hurt at first, but the pain does dissipate as you get used to it, and your feet will thank you in the end.
If you want to practice on your own, here are a few short exercises you can do at home:
1.Begin by massaging the foot with a ball or rolling pin.
2.Clasp your fingers in between your toes use the pressure from the heel of the hand on the arch of the foot.
3. Place a towel on the floor place your toes over the edge and scrunch them to drag the towel a little closer to your heel. Then splay the toes and scrunch them to drag again. You are aiming to get your feet to the far end of the towel by exercising your toes.
Next week I will give you more exercises you can do standing at the sink or at your desk. Subscribe to this blog to make sure you don't miss them!